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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29830116">let the lower lights be burning</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/deepestfathoms/pseuds/deepestfathoms'>deepestfathoms</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Prom (2020), The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure, Aftermath of Possession, Alyssa has a beanie, Attempt at Humor, Crushes, Dissociation, Emma Is Adorable, F/F, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Kevin is a gremlin, Oxenfree AU, Sleep Deprivation, play Oxenfree for the full spectrum of human emotion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:00:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>38,262</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29830116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/deepestfathoms/pseuds/deepestfathoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alyssa never expected to fall in love with a girl she’s stuck on an island with, but she never expected to get stuck on an island, either.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan, Emma Nolan &amp; Kevin (The Prom Musical), Kaylee/Shelby (The Prom Musical)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. sleepy time gal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  “It used to be a military base! Well…it used to be a ranching thing, then it turned into a military thing, then it became a bird thing and museum and-- whatever! Henry Fonda found a station here for a bit. Unless that’s wrong…”</p><p>  “Who’s Henry Fonda?”</p><p>  “And around Christmas time, this little breakfast place used to sell these AMAZING polar bear sugar cookies! MAN, those were good! But then they had to go and change the recipe and ruin it…. Winnie, hey? Still with us?”</p><p>Winnie blinked and looked up from the wine-dark waves lapping at the side of the ferry. She turned, feeling the sensation of pins and needles spreading up her arm thanks to how long she had been leaning against the guard rail, and faced the two teenagers standing a few feet away from her.</p><p>The first was familiar- he was tall, lanky, and bright-eyed. He was grinning like a mischievous gremlin- or maybe a raccoon, to be more realistic, however “monkey” jumped out at Winnie, too.</p><p>The second was less familiar- more muscular, darker skin, and her silky hair was drifting softly in the breeze whisking across the boat. Winnie had instinctively become wary of her upon seeing her beanie, as beanies were never good news, but she had a warm voice and a kind smile.  </p><p>  “Yeah, sorry,” She finally said, learning how to speak and enunciate again. She pulled her green cardigan closer around her. “My mind drifted for a second.”</p><p>Kevin scanned her for a moment. Despite being outlandish and wild, he still worried over his friends when he thought something was wrong. That’s one of the many things Winnie liked about him.</p><p>After the frisk with his eyes, Kevin nodded, then wheeled around on his heels so he would be facing the other girl.</p><p>  “So, she’s all moved in?” He asked.</p><p>  “Uh-- not— not really.” The girl answered. “She just got in this morning.” She glanced at Winnie, who nodded.</p><p>  “And how did this whole thing come to be again?” Kevin continued with the questioning.</p><p>The girl laughed slightly. “There was this, ah, DNA test thing because of my father and-- actually, I’m not even gonna tell this story.”</p><p>  “Uhh, yes, please don’t,” Winnie jumped back in. “We don’t need to relive our meet-cute anymore than we have to.”</p><p>The waves of the ocean jarred the boat slightly. Winnie didn’t miss the way the girl clenched one hand on the guard rail. Kevin, however, didn’t even stumble as he made his way to the deck to look out on the nearby island.</p><p>  “And you guys just met tonight?” He asked.</p><p>  “No, actually,” The girl swiveled around to keep Kevin in her sights. “We’ve talked over text and have met up and stuff, but my mom finally got custody of her this week.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “This’ll be our first time really spending time with each other, though.”</p><p>  “And what does that make you, then?”</p><p>Winnie and the girl exchanged looks, blinking. They both turned back to Kevin, whose eyebrows were raised in interest. That gremlin side of him was coming out strong.</p><p>  “A, uh…” The girl used her free hand to scratch her head. “A second cousin?”</p><p>  “She’s my half-sister,” Winnie said cooly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the girl smile at her slightly.</p><p>  “Oh yeah,” Kevin laughed. “I forgot that was even a thing!”</p><p>Once again Winnie and the girl gave each other glances. Winnie noted how she seemed more relaxed after her half-sister statement, which made her oddly happy.</p><p>  “Well, you seem cool!” Kevin began again, “Cool girl, cool hat…you get a cool new sibling living right in your house!” He smirked. “Sharing your toothbrush…wearing your clothes…”</p><p>  “No, that’s--” Winnie’s voice faltered. She heard the girl snort into her hand. “That’s the weird part. Don’t make it weird, Kevin! Getting a new sister isn’t like-- like getting a puppy or something.”</p><p>  “No, yeah, it’s been totally bizarre.” The girl said. “But, for the record,” She looked at Winnie, “I don’t consider you to be a pet.”</p><p>Those words were left awkwardly hanging in the air before the waves seemed to wash them away with another bob to the boat. The girl clenched her hand on the railing again, and used the other to straighten her beanie, which the wind had been trying to rip right off of her head.</p><p>  “So…” She started. “How did you two meet?”</p><p>  “Oh, from way back when! Like, Paleozoic! Grade school era!” Kevin said enthusiastically. “Young enough that I’ve seen her naked in a bathtub and it wasn’t sexual at all. I mean, we both looked like little skinned potato blobs--”</p><p>  “Ahhh, Kevin!!” Winnie squealed. She could feel her ears flaming red. The girl at her side gave a laugh. “Why are you even talking about that?!”</p><p>  “It’s humorous!” Kevin laughed. Before he could go on and possibly embarrass Winnie again, a voice on the ferry’s loudspeaker spoke up.</p><p>
  <b> <em>  “PASSENGERS, WE WILL BE ARRIVING SOON. CHECK UNDER YOUR SEAT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVEN’T LEFT ANY OF YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS.”</em> </b>
</p><p>And, as it did so, Kevin repeated the speech in a bored, stoic voice.</p><p>  “How do you--?” Winnie tilted her head.</p><p>  “It’s a recording. They always play it.” Kevin told her before she could even finish. “Oh!” A new idea had already popped into his head. “We should get a picture! All of us!”</p><p>  “Sure, why not,” Winnie shrugged. “Come on, ‘Lyssa.”</p><p>The girl nodded and finally pried her hand loose from the guard rail. They both walked over to Kevin, who held up his phone and snapped a photo of all of them.</p><p>  “There, great!” Kevin beamed. “Also…it’s Alyssa, right? Not Alicia?”</p><p>  “Yeah,” The girl nodded. </p><p>  “Cool! Oh, hey, Winnie! You brought the radio, right?”</p><p>  “Of course,” Winnie said, then pulled a small, portable radio out of her pocket. “What’s it for, exactly?” She craned her head around to look at Alyssa and said, “He sent me around twenty messages in all caps to bring this thing.”</p><p>Alyssa laughed.</p><p>  “You’ll see,” Kevin said. “Trust me, it’ll be cool!”</p><p>A horn blared as the mist rolling over the ocean in its own waves of white parted so they could see an island coming up. The ferry began to slow before coming to a halt at the docks. Kevin eagerly bounced off, followed by Winnie and Alyssa.</p><p>  “Smell the clean air, boys and girls! Err- Girls! This ain’t city livin’.” Kevin said, “So, the others should be up and around the bend and…”</p><p>  “Actually--” Alyssa started abruptly. “I don’t mean to break us up already but-- Kevin, can I have a moment with Winnie?”</p><p>  “Uhh--” Kevin blinked. “Really? I--”</p><p>  “Is something wrong?” Winnie looked up at Alyssa. “What is it?”</p><p>  “Nothing’s wrong, nothing’s wrong,” Alyssa said, sensing her worry. “It’ll take, like, two minutes. Super fast.”</p><p>  “I really don’t want to go up by myself--”</p><p>  “No, I need to hear this, Kevin. We’ll meet you up ahead, okay?” Winnie said.</p><p>Kevin’s mouth hung half open for a moment before he blinked and scratched his head.</p><p>  “Umm-- Alright. This is a weird way to start out…splitting up…” He said as he began walking away. Soon, he was out of sight, shrouded by the dark fog, and only the sound of the waves lapping the rocky shore was left behind.</p><p>But only for a moment.</p><p>  “Listen,” Alyssa started. She looked sheepish. “I just wanted to catch you ahead of time and say you’ve been…cool…about everything. And I guess just for me I’ve-- you know, I’ve never had my mom make such a big decision like this before, and actually getting a new family member during it all feels like I’m skipping the training wheels.” She paused, then hurried to continue, thinking that that was a bad place to stop. “Not that it’s bad or anything! You’ve been great, really. That’s what my mom said, at least.”</p><p>  “Eh, we’ll make do,” Winnie said, shrugging her shoulders to try and mask her own anxiety with the whole thing. “Lemons, lemonade-- however that goes.”</p><p>  “An optimist,” Alyssa said bitterly. “Oh, Christ.” </p><p>  “Hey! I’m actually very pessimistic, thank you very much.”</p><p>Alyssa laughed. Winnie laughed, too.</p><p>It felt nice to laugh with a sister.</p><p>  “Oh, and thanks for that sculpture thingy you made! Sorry, I don’t really know what to call it. But it’s really cool!”</p><p>(it felt nice to laugh with a sister <em> again </em>)</p><p>  “I, uhh--”</p><p>A pang of pain stabbed right into Winnie’s heart, wrenching it until it was mush in her chest. She glanced wryly at the dark ocean water nearby and then couldn't pry her eyes away. If she squinted, she swore she could see someone flailing in its depths…</p><p>  “Winnie?”</p><p>Alyssa’s voice cut through the roaring waves in her ears.</p><p>  “Shelby taught me how,” Winnie whispered.</p><p><em> Breathe. </em> She told herself, <em> Like Shelby taught you. In five, hold three, out five… Breathe. </em></p><p>  “It, uh--” She found her voice again. “It isn’t that hard when you have-- <em> had </em> a good teacher.”</p><p>Alyssa’s hands, which had been on Winnie’s shoulders to steady her, pulled back sharply, as if she had touched fire. They clenched as she seemed to internally cringe for what she had accidentally made her new half-sister say.</p><p>  “Oh. Oh, man. I’m so sorry.” She said. “I didn’t mean to bring it up.”</p><p>  “It’s okay,” Winnie said quickly, “You didn’t know.”</p><p>An awkward silence came between them. Instead of looking at the other, they both were scanning the island.</p><p>The only thing on the “bottom level” of the island were the docks, some cars, a bookstore, and a large tunnel that was closed off. Once the sisters decided to head back to Kevin, they walked up some stone steps planted into the earth and onto the “second level”, where a stone statue of a wave and bird, an antique store, and a café stood. They passed these buildings and met up with Kevin after a short hike up a small hill.</p><p>  “Hello, kids!” Kevin chirped, seemingly over his temporary exile. “Listen, the others should be close, so let’s hurry it up. And, as we hightail it, I’ll give you a speed-read of Edward’s Island!” He paused, then leaned in, whispering, “That’s where we’re at.”</p><p>  “I know.”</p><p>  “We got that.”</p><p>  “Good! Good!” Kevin trotted the rest of the way up the hill. “This is a tourist trap with shops and a beach! Nobody lives here except for some geriatric named Ms. Dickinson. But, with God as my witness, I will never mention her or any other old person tonight ever again! We are here to drink and be stupid.”</p><p>It seemed that their first “stupid act” was using a dumpster to jump a fence because Kevin went on to tell them they were not allowed there after dark.</p><p>The three of them made their way down a mountainside path, chatting idly and getting to know each other better on Alyssa’s part, before a slick, honey-laced voice chimed through the air.</p><p>  “Loverboy! I hear you over there!”</p><p>  “H-hey, guys!” Kevin smiled sheepishly, hopping from a ledge to get down.</p><p>Two more girls now stood before them. One had sharp, hawk-like features and shellac nails like cat claws, while the other had warm, friendly eyes and a kind smile.</p><p>  “Hey,” Winnie waved slightly.</p><p>  “We started a fire down at the beach,” Said the girl with the claws. “But Emma, here, wanted to play beach nanny.”</p><p>  “I just wanted to make sure they got here before it was completely dark,” The other girl said.</p><p>The first chuckled then looked over at the stranger in the group of three. “Who are you?”</p><p>  “I’m Alyssa.”</p><p>  “That’s Alyssa!” Kevin said helpfully. “She’s Winnie’s new, fresh-as-a-daisy half-sister! Alyssa, this is Kaylee and Emma.”</p><p>  “Wait wait wait-- half-sister?” Kaylee said. Winnie just barely managed to bite back a groan of annoyance at her upcoming attitude. “How does that even work?”</p><p>  “Her dad is my dad, so…” Winnie shrugged. “Blood."</p><p>Kaylee squinted, looking from Winnie to Alyssa, then back to Winnie. “You guys don’t look very similar.”</p><p>  “I have a feeling we’re gonna get this a lot,” Alyssa said to Winnie, then looked back at Kaylee. “But yeah, uhh… Genetics are really weird. My mom is white, but my dad was Black, so,” She gestured to herself, then glanced at Winnie again. “But with her… I don’t even know what happened.”</p><p>  “Yeah, you’re pasty!” Kevin piped up. </p><p>  “Where did the red hair even come from, then?” Kaylee looked suspicious. “I’ve seen your mom. She doesn’t have red hair.”</p><p>Winnie shrugged helplessly. “Your guess is as good as mine.”</p><p>  “Mine does, though,” Alyssa said. “If that helps.”</p><p>  “Does that technically mean you’re mixed?” Emma asked Winnie.</p><p>Winnie blinked, glancing at Alyssa for a moment, as if she were asking for permission to answer the question. “I-I guess?”</p><p>  “Also, wait-- what if you’re related by the mom, not the dad?” Emma said. “I mean, Alyssa, you said your mom has red hair. Maybe she was covering up an affair by using her husband as a scapegoat?”</p><p>Winnie and Alyssa stared at her, jaws to the floor, dumbfounded. Kevin began to laugh.</p><p>  “Oh my god!” Kevin chortled, thoroughly amused. “Emma, you’re really digging, huh? Making them question their whole family line! This is great!”</p><p>  “Well, this is happening, now. This is a thing that is happening.” Kaylee said, exasperated. She began walking down the path that led to the beach. “Where’s everybody else?”</p><p>  “Nick had that thing and then Greg--”</p><p>  “We’re it,” Winnie said for Kevin. “Who else was supposed to come?”</p><p>  “Anyone. Everyone.” Kaylee said as if that should have been obvious.</p><p>  “Kaylee, we took the last ferry,” Kevin told the snarky girl. “I thought more would show up, but--”</p><p>  “Oh my god!” Kaylee momentarily swiveled her head around to analyze the whole group, letting out a biting laugh. “It’s just Winnie and the new half-sister! That’s it, that’s who you brought? That’s the group?”</p><p>  “Come on, Kaylee, don’t be mean,” Winnie said. “This is supposed to be fun.”</p><p>  “Who said I wasn’t having fun? I’m having fun! This is like freaking Candy Land right now.”</p><p>  “Aren’t you guys friends?”</p><p>Everyone stopped and looked at Alyssa. Then they exchanged scattered glances.</p><p>Kaylee began leading again, marching her way down to the beach. The path they were walking on was made of dirt and borned by unkempt grass and overgrown cattails, itching the legs of anyone who passed by. There were no lights down there, making Winnie even more nervous about being away from the civilization of the small town.</p><p>It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be there, and it wasn’t that she was a buzzkill, but still got anxiety over being on the island when they weren’t supposed to. She also hated the water. She didn’t enjoy getting all soggy and cold, nor did she know how to swim, but she was sucking it up because she wanted to be included with everyone else.</p><p>  “I’m friends with Emma,” Kaylee said as they went along. The other girl gave a smile at that. “And I’m downgrading Kevin to a creepy neighbor.”</p><p>  “I’ll take it!” Kevin said.</p><p>  “And I just met you.”</p><p>  “Hey!” Winnie barked, “What about me?”</p><p>  “What about you?”</p><p>Winnie clenched her jaw, then sighed. She felt Alyssa gently nudge her in a friendly way and give her a warm smile as if to say, <em> “I’m your friend.” </em></p><p>Winnie smiled back.</p><p>Down the dirt path and through the thicket of foliage, the trees and rocks opened up to border a small beach. Dense brambles locked around the edges behind them, ending at a giant, yawning cave that was blocked off by a flimsy-looking chain link fence. A bonfire was set up in the sand, along with some towels and a cooler. Winnie hoped nobody saw the way she nervously glanced at the pitch black water.</p><p>  “So… what’s the thing to do here?” Alyssa asked, scanning the area.</p><p>  “Whatever,” Emma shrugged. She plopped herself down by the fire and smiled at Alyssa when she joined her. Winnie could already tell there was some sort of connection growing between them.</p><p>  “Oh, also,” Alyssa spoke again. “Where does that old woman live?”</p><p>  “You mean Angie Dickinson?” Kaylee asked. “She’s dead.” </p><p>  “What?” Kevin snapped his head over to her.</p><p>  “Yup. Keeled over three days ago. It was all over the news.” Kaylee said. “And to answer your previous question, Alyssa, the ‘thing to do’ is lay on the beach and drink until you can’t remember where you are.”</p><p>  “And,” Emma piped up, steering the topic away from very illegal underage drinking. “Sometimes play Truth or Slap!”</p><p>  “Yeah!” Kevin perked up. “Let’s play that! We can inaugurate Alyssa. Ease her into the festivities.”</p><p>  “Truth or Slap?” Winnie asked stupidly, which prompted Kevin to explain how it was like Truth or Dare except you just ask questions and get slapped if you were lying about your answer.</p><p>  “It’s a good getting-to-know-each-other game!” Kevin concluded. “I’ll go first!” He turned to Winnie with a smirk, “Winnie!”</p><p>  “Uh oh,” Alyssa laughed.</p><p>  “Lay it on me.” Winnie smirked back.</p><p>  “Okay. Marry, Screw, Kill: Me, Emma, and Kaylee!”</p><p>  “What?!” Emma yelped.</p><p>  “No!” Kaylee barked.</p><p>  “Calm down! Besides, I can’t include Alyssa! They’re sisters! That’s, like, illegal!”</p><p>  “Wait, but I’m acearo,” Winnie said.</p><p>  “Oh right. Uhh…” Kevin gave it a moment, then perked up. “I got it! Be their lab partner for a whole semester, get stuck in an elevator with them for ten hours, and have them be your employee trainer at your new job at McDonalds: Me, Kaylee, and Emma!”</p><p>  “Oooh, okay…” Winnie thought the choices over. “I’d want to be lab partners with Kaylee. She’d find a way to yell at me in any of the situations, but I rather not have it be in a work setting or an elevator for ten hours. Also she’s smart.”</p><p>  “I am,” Kaylee nodded proudly.</p><p>  “I would want to be stuck in an elevator with you, Kevin,” Winnie went on. “You’d keep it entertaining.”</p><p>  “I would,” Kevin puffed his chest out.</p><p>  “And I would want Emma to be my employee trainer,” Winnie concluded. “I don’t think she would get mad at me.”</p><p>  “No promises,” Emma winked.</p><p>  “So, it’s Winnie’s turn now?” Alyssa asked.</p><p>  “Right,” Kevin nodded.</p><p>  “Okay…uhh…Emma! Have you ever…peed in a swimming pool?”</p><p>Both Kevin and Alyssa erupted into laughter. Kaylee snorted and shook her head, clearly not surprised. Emma wrinkled her nose.</p><p>  “Ugh, no!”</p><p>  “Nice question,” Kaylee snickered. </p><p>  “Kaylee!” Emma smiled at her friend. “If you had to get a tattoo, what would it be?”</p><p>  “Oooh,” Kaylee tapped the beer bottle she was holding against her chin. “Hmm…”</p><p>  “A chick riding a motorcycle on fire,” Kevin said for her.</p><p>  “She didn’t ask you,” Kaylee scolded lightly, flicking some sand at him. “I think I’d get a little snake around my ring finger. Actually, I think I <em> am </em>gonna get that once I move out, so my parents can’t say no.”</p><p>  “Ooh, that’s cool!” Emma smiled at her.</p><p>  “My turn now,” Kaylee wheeled around to Winnie, and Winnie braced herself. “Winnie. You got a new sister. Pretty exciting. I’m sure Alyssa is pretty excited, too. Or maybe ‘excited’ isn’t the word. Maybe a little unsure…overwhelmed…”</p><p>  “No, I’m-- I’m fine. I’m fine.” Alyssa said.</p><p>  “Yeah, see, she’s--” Winnie shook her head. “What’s the question?”</p><p>Kaylee took a sip from her beer bottle, then looked Winnie directly in the eyes and asked, “Why’d your parents give you up?”</p><p>Everyone’s jaws dropped to the ground. Winnie’s heart twisted.</p><p>  “Just so Alyssa can hear it from you.”</p><p>Emma and Kevin immediately began giving each other anxious looks. Alyssa appeared to be a little shocked until she calmed her expression and closed her gaping mouth.</p><p>  “Kaylee, I don’t care why her parents--”</p><p>  “You know why,” Winnie grit. Her eyes were dark, just like the nearby water. Just like the water on that-- “Shelby--<em> died </em> and it broke everything and they couldn’t handle having a kid that caused that hanging around them, ruining their reputation. The end.”</p><p>(<em> water roared in her ears-- water rushed down her throat-- water choked her and held her and consumed her until-- until-- until-- </em>)</p><p>(she was screaming so loud SO LOUD <em> WHY WON’T ANYONE HELP WHY IS SHE SLIPPING AWAY </em> <b> <em>SOMEBODY HELP--</em> </b>)</p><p>  “Well, now you know, Alyssa,” Kaylee said. “Don’t die and everything will be fine.” </p><p>Once again, there was a tense silence. Kevin broke it by saying he wanted to go check out the nearby caves, which Alyssa and Winnie agreed to, desperate to get away from the awkwardness.</p><p>One quick hop over a fence (and a weed brownie eaten by Kevin) later, the three of them found themselves inside of a large cave with three small rock piles set up.</p><p>  “So, what you gotta do is stand right here and tune your radio until you find a ‘signal’,” Kevin explained. “That’s why we brought it.”</p><p>Winnie nodded and took the radio out. She began to rotate the little dial around, mainly getting plain static for a few minutes before a strange sound cut through the white noise.</p><p>Well, there was that and an ominous blue flickering from a crevice in the cave wall.</p><p>  “Holy crap!” Alyssa yelped.</p><p>  “It worked!” Kevin cried. “That was so cool! Do it again!”</p><p>Winnie nodded and walked over to the next pile, tuning in her radio. Once again, the thing sputtered loudly and the nearby light flashed.</p><p>  “This is so cool!” Alyssa exclaimed.</p><p>  “I know!” Winnie beamed excitedly at her.</p><p>  “Do the last one, Winn!”</p><p>  “I will! I will!”</p><p>And she did.</p><p>And, like the last two times, the sound returned, but this time more garbled and grating.</p><p>  “Agh--” Alyssa winced. She saw Winnie press a hand to her ear. “It sounds so…”</p><p>  “It sounds, ack--” Winnie’s temples pulsated. She pulled her hand back, surprised to see no blood because she swore her eardrums had ruptured. “It sounds, like…painful.”</p><p>A sound returned-- however, this one was different, like a staticky moaning noise. Almost…human.</p><p>  “There’s something in there,” Alyssa said, walking over to the crack in the cave wall.</p><p>  “Yeah, I see it, too,” Winnie agreed.</p><p>  “I’m gonna go check it out,” Alyssa suddenly said. A moment later, she was gone.</p><p>  “Wh-- That’s such a bad idea!” Kevin cried.</p><p>  “Alyssa! Wait up!”</p><p>  “WAIT UP?!” Kevin looked at Winnie like she was insane.</p><p>  “I’ll be fine,” Winnie assured her friend. “Wait here.”</p><p>With that, she slipped in through the crack.</p><p>Immediately, the feeling of claustrophobia embraced her, as the passageway was a lot longer than she had been expecting. She shuffled awkwardly through the tight space, feeling the cold, biting stone chafe into either side of her. She could barely even breathe completely because the rock pressed against her chest, almost like it was trying to suffocate and trap her.</p><p>Right as she was about to panic, or maybe turn back, Winnie popped out and into a large tunnel. It was lit up by bioluminescent moss, but it was far too bright inside of a closed off cave, even with the glowing plants.</p><p>  “Alyssa?” She called out as she began to walk down the passageway. “Alyssa, where are you?!”</p><p>No answer.</p><p>Not even an echo.</p><p>Chills ran up and down Winnie’s spine. The feeling of eyes bearing down on her followed her through every twist and turn she took in that cave, but whenever she turned around, there was nobody there.</p><p>  “Alyssa?” Winnie said again, this time more frantic. “Alyssa, are you okay? Can you, like, scream or something?”</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>  “Alyssa?”</p><p>A shadow stretched across the jagged, rocky ground.</p><p>  “Alyssa!”</p><p>  “AHH!!”</p><p>Alyssa leapt backwards as Winnie just about charged her like an angry (but fuzzy) little red panda. She put a hand on her chest, reintroducing her lungs to oxygen as Winnie tore strips off of her.</p><p>  “What were you thinking?!” Winnie barked. “I was so worried! I thought you, like-- like died or something! Do you know what that would have done to me? How would I explain that to your mom?”</p><p>  “Okay, okay, I get it! You’re mad!” Alyssa held her hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. I just-- I thought I heard something down here. A voice.”</p><p>Like that, Winnie’s rage vanished. She wished Alyssa had led in with the whole voice thing.</p><p>  “A voice?” Winnie tilted her head like a confused puppy.</p><p>  “Yeah,” Alyssa turned and began walking further into the cave. “It was so…weird…”</p><p>Alyssa’s voice trailed and died off as she and her sister ducked under an overhang and passed into a large cavern filled with huge crystals. An underground lake was in the middle, glistening in an unknown light source. The only ruddy-looking thing in that beautiful space was a rusty locker on the opposite of the shore.</p><p>  “Oh my god,” Winnie whispered.</p><p>  “Holy-- Winnie,” Alyssa grabbed and shook Winnie’s elbow frantically. “Do you see that?!”</p><p>Winnie blinked and looked up. It didn’t take long for her to realize what ‘that’ was.</p><p>A floating triangle.</p><p>A fucking floating, spinning triangle in the middle of the air.</p><p>  “It-- it must be some kind of…reflection…a rainbow…” Alyssa was at a loss for words. “Those-those are things, right? Cave…triangle rainbows.”</p><p>  “I don’t know,” Winnie said slowly. “I was awful at Geography.”</p><p>  “I think this may be caused by when you ‘tuned in’ back at the beach.” Alyssa said. “Maybe try it again?”</p><p>Winnie glanced up at her, then nodded and took out her radio. She began to twist the dial until the triangle in the air shuddered and started to pulsate. A small, iridescent line stretched out from one of the tips.</p><p>  “Oh--my god.” Alyssa whispered. “Is this-- are you-- is this--<em> YOU </em>? Are you doing this?”</p><p>  “Uhh-- I-I think?” Winnie stammered before tuning in again.</p><p>The line grew longer until it formed a second triangle. Winnie felt a beating against her brain, almost like a second pulse that wasn’t hers and, by the way Alyssa winced at her side, her sister felt it, too.</p><p>  “I can’t even, like-- what is-- what?!”</p><p>  “I-I know! I know!” Winnie cried. She tuned in one last time and--</p><p>--and the triangle was complete.</p><p>Within the glowing shape, all there was was murky green. It was shuddering in the air, pulsating visible red vibrations.</p><p>  “What the…”</p><p>  “…hell…” Alyssa finished for her sister.</p><p>  “Hêllð. Ðêår. †êll êvêr¥ðñê hêllð.” Spoke an unknown, garbled voice. It sounded as if snippets from different radio programs were ripped out of their channels and used to form the words. There were tons of people talking at once, tons of voices. And, when it--<em> they </em> spoke, the pounding in Winnie’s brain beat in time with each word.</p><p>  “H-hello?” Winnie said. She glanced anxiously at Alyssa, who was stunned into silence.</p><p>  “§lêêþ¥ †ïmê gål. Èvêr¥†hïñg £ïñê. Hðþê †hïñg§ årê §åmê. Ððñ'† kñðw ï£ lêåvê ï§ þð§§ïßlê.” Said the voices.</p><p>  “This…is insane.” Alyssa breathed out. Her hand took Winnie’s and squeezed it tightly, reassuringly.</p><p>  “Lï§†êñ. ßðß †åïl. §håvê †åïl. §lêêþ¥ †ïmê gål.” Said the voices. “Ì§. Lêåvê. Þð§§ïßlê.”</p><p>Winnie swallowed thickly. She could taste blood on her tongue. Her brain was being turned to mush inside of her head.</p><p>  “Umm…” She looked at Alyssa unsurely. Her sister was pale and visibly in pain. There was a thin line of blood trickling out of her right ear. “M-maybe?”</p><p>  “ßðß †åïl. Lêåvê ¢hïlÐrêñ. M¥ mð†hêr§. Wïll §êê †hêm §ððñ.”</p><p>The ground began to shake. The triangle shuddered harder. Cracks shot through all the crystals. They cracked and broke into razor sharp shards. The pulse in Winnie’s head turned into a roaring, painful white noise.</p><p>  “Winnie!!” Alyssa shrieked.</p><p>A force seemed to be ripping them apart.</p><p>  “Alyssa!!”</p><p>Her vision distorted. The feeling of phantom water rushed down through her eye sockets- she was underwater.</p><p>Winnie was underwater.</p><p>And down with her was debris.</p><p>Debris falling at an agonizingly slow rate.</p><p>She screamed.</p><p>Bubbles exploded from her lips.</p><p>A chunk of metal fell down, down, down.</p><p>The spray of bubbles turned red.</p><p>As Winnie was cut in two.</p><p>She just barely felt the debris slice into her belly when--</p><p>  “ßðß †åïl. §håvê †åïl.”</p><p>--all went black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. fetch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Murky water.</p><p>Dark water.</p><p>Bloody water.</p><p>  “Winnie?”</p><p>The riptide strangled her in its vicious grip.</p><p>She couldn’t breathe.</p><p>  “Winnie!”</p><p>She couldn’t--</p><p>Winnie’s eyes popped open. She blinked through a black haze and saw someone kneeling beside her, shaking her shoulder. They backed away when she started to get up.</p><p>  “Winnie, are you okay?”</p><p>  “I-I think so… I don’t really know.” She looked up at Alyssa. Her sister’s lips were pale. “Are <em> you </em> okay?”</p><p>  “Yeah,” Alyssa said. “Pretty sure.”</p><p>Winnie nodded slowly then looked around. She had been lying at the bottom of a hill near an electric fence. Further up was an eyesore of a rusty tower. </p><p>Neither she nor Alyssa were wet.</p><p>The beach was nowhere in sight.</p><p>  “Alyssa…” Winnie said uneasily. “Where are we? How did we get here?”</p><p>Alyssa opened and closed her mouth a few times, like a startled fish that had just been reeled out of water, then looked at her helplessly and said, “I don’t know.”</p><p>Well. <em> That </em>wasn’t good.</p><p>  “Listen,” Alyssa began to walk up the hill to the tower. Winnie scrambled after her. “I’m just going to cut to the whatever… I don’t know what the hell happened back there, but that sign says that’s an old communications tower and, I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking we climb that ladder and call for help so we can get back home as fast as possible.” </p><p>  “Way ahead of you,” Winnie agreed. “There has to be some kind of emergency number or a way to get off this rock without using the ferry.”</p><p>  “Oh, and not for nothing,” Alyssa went on. “I’m fine with a little depantsing or whatever if the weather was right, but this-- this wasn’t you, right? You didn’t set this up?”</p><p>  “No! Of course not!”</p><p>  “Okay, okay… Just making sure.”</p><p>Climbing up that tower was utter hell, to say the least. Winnie already had a splitting headache and her fingernails felt as if they were about to shoot right off of her hands. Gripping the rusty bars of the ladder made the joints in her fingers burn, sending strings of fire searing up through her arms with every grasp and clutch.</p><p>Walking up the dozens of rickety, old steps wasn’t any better, but that was just because they were stairs.</p><p>Upon getting to the top, Winnie took a moment to look out at the dark abuse stretched from horizon-to-horizon. This Comm Tower was the sort of building designed to make humans feel like ants.</p><p>Winnie swallowed and warily regarded the shaky guard rails. “Okay, that’s really…not safe.”</p><p>  “Scared?” Alyssa looked over at her from where she was gazing off into the night.</p><p>  “With you being the only person around to catch me if I slip? Terrified.” Winnie teased, and Alyssa chuckled. She looked back out into the distance. “Where do you think everyone else is?”</p><p>  “I have no idea,” Alyssa answered. “Scared off, maybe?”</p><p>Winnie found a way in through an open window and unlocked the tower door for Alyssa. With a flick of a switch, the power came up and they no longer stood in complete darkness.</p><p>  “And…there!” Winnie said after pressing a button on a large piece of machinery. “That electric fence should be off now.”</p><p>  “Alright,” Alyssa said, squinting out of one of the windows to the fence in the near distance. “But don’t be offended if I wanna throw a stick at it or something first.”</p><p>  “I will be VERY offended!” Winnie blustered. “Do you not trust my button-pushing abilities?”</p><p>  “No, no, I do!” Alyssa assured her. “I just-- You know…”</p><p>Winnie raised an eyebrow at her.</p><p>  “Check this other stuff,” Alyssa said hastily. She looked over all the consoles inside the tower, clearly confused about what all the buttons did. “I-- Umm…” She scratched the back of her head and looked at Winnie. “You wanna give it a shot?”</p><p>  “I don’t know what I can do,” Winnie said.</p><p>  “Hun, I’m going to be studying theater arts and law for college,” Alyssa said. “Your attempt will be as good as mine, but at least it’s something.”</p><p>That got a tiny giggle out of Winnie, despite the circumstances. It felt weirder and weirder and more inappropriate to laugh the longer time went on.</p><p>  “I can try,” Winnie said, not wanting to be useless. “But if I break something, I’m blaming you for giving me permission to touch stuff.”</p><p>Alyssa laughed slightly. “That’s fair.”</p><p>Winnie walked down the expanse of the control boards, looking at all the different shapes and colors of the many buttons. She didn’t understand how anyone could memorize what they all did.</p><p>She soon came to a microphone sitting in front of a radar, which was turned off. She flicked the switch that sat next to the mic and leaned into it hopefully.</p><p>  “Uhh… Mayday, mayday! SOS! Umm-- Help?” Winnie said into the mic. Was ‘mayday’ and ‘SOS’ actually even used in situations of distress or was that just a Hollywood thing? “This is Edwards Island. We’re kinda stranded here and would like some assistance.” </p><p>Only static answered her. She swallowed thickly and tried again.</p><p>  “Mayday, mayday! My name is Winnie Thompson, I’m on Edwards Island with my friends and we can’t get off. Can anyone hear me at all?”</p><p>Static. From the side, Alyssa sighed.</p><p>  “Looks like it isn’t receiving at all,” Alyssa said. “I think we may be stuck here until tomorrow morning.”</p><p>Winnie shivered. “It’s just-- it’s kinda weird, don’t you think?”</p><p>  “What?” Alyssa asked.</p><p>  “That the radios are down,” Winnie clarified. “I mean, it’s an emergency broadcast, isn’t it? Doesn’t it kinda erase the whole point of being used for emergencies if nobody receives it?”</p><p>Alyssa opened her mouth, then closed it and stared at Winnie in silence for a long moment.</p><p>  “Yeah… I guess so.”</p><p>  “It’s just weird,” Winnie said again, but she didn’t actually get to say it because something stopped her.</p><p>A noise. </p><p>She and Alyssa both quieted down to listen to the sound of creaking metal coming from outside the cabin. At first, Winnie thought it was just the wind buffeting the old, rickety tower, but then she realized that was the same sound the ladder had made when they both had climbed up it.</p><p>Someone was coming up the Comm Tower.</p><p>Winnie began frantically slamming her hands on the control board, hitting everything and hoping that it would work. She cried into the microphone, “Mayday, mayday, mayday! Please, we need help! Something is <em> wrong </em>!”</p><p>Alyssa grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her away from the radio. “Winnie!” She said, shaking her slightly. “Hey, hey, shh. It’s okay. Calm down. Nothing is--”</p><p>A knock at the cabin door cut her off.</p><p>Winnie lurched back with a scream, then instantly clung to Alyssa, eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. She trembled violently against Alyssa’s side, white-knuckling her sister’s shirt.</p><p>  “It’s probably just Kevin or Emma,” Alyssa tried to calm her, but it did little to settle her nerves when she was this high alert. “They must have seen the lights come on.”</p><p>Alyssa gently detached Winnie from her, and Winnie instantly felt freezing cold and vulnerable without her there. She went to scramble after Alyssa, but backed away when she saw that Alyssa was going towards the door with more confidence than she was comfortable with.</p><p>  “A-Alyssa!” Winnie squealed, her voice cracking from fear and anxiety. “D-don’t!”</p><p>  “Winnie, it’s fine,” Alyssa insisted.</p><p>  “B-but Alyssa!” Winnie wheedled. “If it were Kevin and Emma, why would they bother knocking?”</p><p>Alyssa didn’t answer her, maybe because she didn’t know <em> how </em> to answer, and opened the door. Winnie flinched back, her arms shooting up over her head in a vain attempt to protect herself, but there was nothing to protect herself <em> from. </em></p><p>Because there was nothing there.</p><p>Alyssa looked out of the cabin for a moment, then shut the door. “Must have been the wind.”</p><p>Winnie shifted uncomfortably. “Have you, umm… Have you tried the phone?” She asked.</p><p>  “Not yet,” Alyssa picked the phone up off of its console and held it to her ear. “It, ahh…has a dial tone, but I can’t get it to call anything. I think the line is down.” She set it down with a sigh, and that was when it began to ring.</p><p>Winnie and Alyssa both leapt back with a yelp. They stared at each with wide eyes, then slowly slid their gazes over to the ringing phone. </p><p>  “Didn’t you just say it was…?” Winnie whispered.</p><p>Alyssa held her hands up and pressed against the door. “I’m not touching that thing. Fucking ghost phone.”</p><p>Winnie tried to laugh, but something nagged at the back of her head, telling her not to. She delicately picked up the phone.</p><p>  “Hello?” She called into it wryly.</p><p>
  <em>   “Winnie?” </em>
</p><p>Winnie’s heart leapt.</p><p>  “Kevin?”</p><p><em>   “Winnie! Oh thank god!” </em> Kevin’s chipper voice sounded relieved. <em> “I-- you guys went into that hole and a bunch of stuff-- I don’t even know what, I just woke up fifteen minutes ago! I saw the light on in the, uh, tower thing, turn on, so I thought I’d try calling.” </em></p><p>  “How’d you get this number?” Alyssa asked after Winnie switched it to speaker.</p><p><em>   “It’s written on this--this list. A bunch of codes. But the phone can’t call out. I’m at the, uh, way station in the woods.” </em> Kevin babbled on. He sounded frantic. Nervous. Scared. <em> “Hey, did you know they call codes ‘cookies’? Pretty weird, huh?” </em></p><p>  “Kevin, are you alright?” Winnie asked. “I mean-- physically. Mentally, probably not so much…”</p><p><em>   “No I’m not alright!” </em> Kevin barked. His shrill voice made Winnie’s temples throb. <em> “I mean-- Do I sound alright or do I sound </em> not <em> alright?” </em></p><p>The phone began to ring.</p><p>
  <em>   “What’s that?” </em>
</p><p>  “Someone else is calling,” Alyssa said. She looked at Winnie. “Maybe you should switch over.”</p><p>  “No,” Winnie said. “I’ll stay on Kevin’s line. This is more important.”</p><p><em>   “Of course it’s more important!” </em> Kevin agreed loudly. <em> “I’m kinda super fucking freaked out right now!” </em></p><p>  “I know, Kevin, I know. Just, stay on the line and don’t--”</p><p>With almost comical timing, a dial tone buzzed out loudly.</p><p>  “--hang up.” Winnie whispered. “It’s--dead.”</p><p>  “Great,” Alyssa sighed. “We should-- we should probably go find him.”</p><p>  “Yeah.”</p><p>So, the two of them trekked all the way back down the tower, past the fence, ignoring the footsteps that weren’t there before leading up to the base of the lookout, and to the forest across the field. </p><p>The energy in that field was heavy.</p><p>Suffocating.</p><p>Something happened there.</p><p>(“<em> The island is famously named after Colonel Caleb Edwards for his glorious and triumphant slaughtering of countless families, during one of the great ethnic cleansings of the 20th century. The forceful removal of an ignorant people to make space for destined holders is a time-honored tradition in our still young country. You will be a part of that heritage, Guinevere. Do not resist, it will be over soon.” </em>)</p><p>(the weight found her each time she passed.)</p><p>  “So…” Winnie spoke up before entering Towee Grove. “What’s your running theory for the whole night so far?”</p><p>  “Well, we went into a cave, saw a triangle, triangle talked, we drowned but not really, got teleported away, and now we’re having to track down our friends because they got teleported, too,” Alyssa said.</p><p>  “That’s-- yeah, that checks out perfectly.”</p><p>  “I don’t know if I’ll be able to look at triangles the same way after tonight,” Alyssa said.</p><p>  “I’m fine with that,” Winnie shrugged. “I hate geometry.”</p><p>Alyssa laughed.</p><p>Stepping through the threshold of the field and the forest, into the darkened brush of trees, was a little ominous to say the least. Nothing made Winnie more claustrophobic than the sight of that heavy forest murk and mist sliding over the world as they crossed into nature’s playground.</p><p>One thing people seemed to forget--Winnie and Alyssa included--was just how loud the woods were at times, and how silent they become at others. The contrast between them could make your head spin. One moment it was a symphony of owls and crickets and toads, then a branch would snap or thunder would crack, and suddenly you’re wondering if you’d gone deaf.</p><p>And then of course, if you thought about it too much, you realize just how full the darkness was with all those eyes.</p><p>To try and ignore that fact, that they were probably being watched by something, the siblings made idle chitchat to pass the time as they walked down a dirt path that wound through the forest. Alyssa was telling Winnie about a park she used to go to as a child when her younger sister, very suddenly, jumped across a large gap in between two ledges.</p><p>  “Wh-- J-- Jesus!” Alyssa yelped. “What do you think you’re doing?!”</p><p>  “Calm down,” Winnie said, “I do, like, a <em> bajillion </em> jumping jacks every morning!”</p><p>Alyssa gave her a look. “My apologies. I hadn’t noticed.”</p><p>They continued walking after Alyssa crossed, ducking under brittle, reaching branches and coils of thorns until they broke through the thicket and into a large clearing by a waterfall and river. Two small cabins were built there- one across from a cable car and one higher up on a small hill.</p><p>The weirdest feeling of nostalgia pricked Winnie’s heart, and she wasn’t quite sure why. She had never been here before, not in this sort of situation. It wasn't anything like the trips she and Shelby and Kevin used to make out to the campgrounds.</p><p>(right?)</p><p>Winnie and Alyssa went to the closer cabin.</p><p>It was swathed by tendrils of ivy climbing their way towards the roof and splotched with patches of emerald green moss. The wood was a deep brown, splintering and fraying from years of being beaten down by weather. </p><p>And--</p><p>There was a light coming from inside.</p><p>It was barely there. Just the occasional flicker, a warm orange seeping out through the triangle window above the door and bathing the frosted, overgrown grass that sat along the ground against the wall of the cabin outside. </p><p>Winnie furrowed her brows, then glanced at Alyssa, who had her head tilted slightly in confusion. Her sister was looking at the house as if she were expecting it to start talking and give her answers of its history.</p><p>Cautiously, they made their way up to the front door- a wide brown-oak thing, with a cut-out panel for the small, cracked, triangle-shaped glass window just above it. As Alyssa was pushing down the rusted grey handle, Winnie swore she saw something shift in the treeline, and instinctively latched onto Alyssa, who jumped in reaction.</p><p>  “Sorry,” Winnie said softly. “I thought I saw something.”</p><p>Alyssa frowned and scanned the trees circling the clearing, then stepped inside, motioning for Winnie to come with her. The front door remained open for their own sense of safety and so the sparse moonlight could leak inside. </p><p>  “This isn’t trespassing, right? Shouldn’t we have knocked first?” Winnie said, looking around the musty interior.</p><p>  “Maybe,” Alyssa said. “But aren’t we already trespassing as is? I mean, Kevin said we weren’t supposed to be here at night. Makes you wonder why the ferryman let us come here.”</p><p>Winnie didn’t want to wonder about that, so she tried to think of something else while looking through the cabin.</p><p>  “Also, kinda weird that they didn’t lock it...” Alyssa said. “I mean, <em> somebody </em>should have locked it, right?”</p><p>  “Maybe the guy in charge of the, umm...forest closet...forgot?” Winie offered weakly.</p><p>  “Maybe,” Alyssa said. “Or he’s dead.”</p><p>Winnie swallowed thickly. “Here, ahh-- I found the circuit breaker,” She then said. “This should turn on the cable car out there.”</p><p>  “Wait,” Alyssa said. “The first thing it says on here is <em> ‘Beware of Overload. Do not attempt to use without a supervisor.’ </em>”</p><p>  “Great! You’ll be my supervisor. Supervisor Alyssa!”</p><p>  “Let me do it.”</p><p>  “Aww, that’s sweet, ‘Lyssa,” Winnie cooed. “But no.”</p><p>Alyssa wrinkled her nose. “Your barbecue…” She mumbled.</p><p>Winnie inspected the circuit box for a moment before flipping a switch. The machinery hissed at her, and then all the power went out, including the lampposts outside.</p><p>The door to the cabin slammed shut. </p><p>The only light now on was a single lamp on the small desk in the corner, which was glowing an ominous red.</p><p>The bulb had not been red a moment ago.</p><p>  “What did you do?!” Alyssa barked. “What did you flip?!”</p><p>  “I flipped the only switch here!” Winnie barked back. She eyed the lamp nervously. In the sinister crimson glow, she saw Alyssa do the same.</p><p>  “Do you…hear that?” Alyssa whispered.</p><p>  “The static?” Winnie whispered back. “Yeah.” She slipped her radio out of her pocket.</p><p>  “Are you--?”</p><p>  “Yeah.”</p><p>Winnie twisted the dial around until she got to station 105.2. The radio vibrated in her hand. The lamp went out. She swore she saw eyes peering in from the window. A ukulele began to play from somewhere.</p><p>  “That’s--” Alyssa’s eyes were wide. “God, I haven’t-- I haven’t heard that in forever. That’s something my dad used to listen to! Before he…”</p><p>All the power abruptly came back on with an electrical whirl. Alyssa leapt back, then growled.</p><p>  “I’m so tired of this funhouse bullcrap!”</p><p>Winnie gave her a small, wry smile. “At least the cable car is on.” She said, nodding in the direction of a loud mechanical buzzing.</p><p>Alyssa sighed. “Yeah. Good.”</p><p>They both walked over to the bridge and stepped onto one of the shaky cable cars. Alyssa gripped onto the guard rail like she did on the ferry.</p><p>  “What a night, huh?” Alyssa said as the cable car slowly pulled them along the cable.</p><p>  “What a night,” Winnie agreed. She leaned haphazardly against the rail, looking down at the chasm they were treacherously passing over. “I’m sorry about all this, Alyssa. If I would have known--”</p><p>  “No, hey,” Alyssa set a hand on Winnie’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault!”</p><p>  “It is my fault,” Winnie shook her head. “If I’d I hadn’t brought that stupid radio, then…”</p><p>  “No, no don’t say that,” Alyssa said. “Well-- you saying it saves me from having to say it, but still!”</p><p>  “Hey!” Winnie laughed, playfully swatting Alyssa’s hand away.</p><p>  “I kid! I kid!” Alyssa laughed.</p><p>(somewhere in Winnie’s chest, the void that Shelby left started to mend)</p><p>The cable car sputtered to a halt at the other side of the ravine, and Alyssa and Winnie carefully stepped off. They looked around the campground that was now stretched out before them…and the mountain side they would have to hike up.</p><p>  “My legs are going to be dead by the end of this,” Alyssa sighed. “So, you came here a lot as a kid, right?”</p><p>  “Yeah,” Winnie nodded, walking past a large pond. “Well-- not a lot, but sometimes.” She paused for a moment, then went on, “With, umm... With Shelby.”</p><p>Alyssa suddenly looked very interested over knowing more about the girl in question. “Yeah? With Shelby? Like, with your mom and dad, too, or...”</p><p>  “Nah, they weren’t the forest type,” Winnie said. “I mean, I wasn’t, either. Being out there-- out <em> here </em> kinda freaks me out. I <em> hate </em>camping. But Shelby-- Shelby would convince me to go and I always had so much fun. Her parents would come, too! Sometimes.”</p><p>It’s been awhile since she had seen the Gonzalez’s. </p><p>She wondered how long they would continue to act like they didn’t think she was a daughter-killer when she was around them.</p><p>  “Well, that’s cool,” Alyssa said. “It was nice of her to do that. Would she be, like, babysitting or...?”</p><p>  “No, you goof,” Winnie said. “We--” Her voice caught for a moment. “We were best friends. It’s not like she was being <em> forced </em> to do it, she <em> wanted </em> to do it. We <em> liked </em>hanging out together.”</p><p>  “Yeah, yeah, I can tell,” Alyssa nodded. “I could see how this would be a cool place to camp during the spring or summer--”</p><p>.- .... .-.-.- / .. - ... / -.-- --- ..- .-.-.-</p><p>  “My legs are going to be dead by the end of this,” Alyssa sighed. “So, you came here a lot as a kid, right?”</p><p>  “Yeah,” Winnie nodded, walking past a large pond. “Well-- not a lot, but sometimes.” She paused for a moment, then went on, “With, umm... With Shelby.”</p><p>Then, she froze.</p><p>  “Wait-- you already said that, didn’t you?”</p><p>Alyssa looked at her confusedly. “Did I?” She blinked. “I only mention it because my family trips were kinda shitty. My mom would always insist on going to Wyoming. Every. Single. Year.”</p><p>Winnie laughed. The mini jolt of fear washed away, but a dull buzzing sensation in her brain remained.</p><p>  “What’s so bad about Wyoming?” She asked.</p><p>  “Nothing! Nothing! I mean-- after you see Yellowstone for the sixth time in a row it’s kinda…not as cool as it was before. You know, ‘oh cool there’s the geyser that’ll kill us all one day’ and whatnot-- I’ve already got the whole nine yards.”</p><p>Winnie laughed loudly. It made her head hurt.</p><p>And then she stopped laughing.</p><p>Because she noticed that the campfire by one of the tents was burning.</p><p>  “Wait-- was this--? There wasn’t a fire going before, right?” She asked Alyssa. She noticed that her sister seemed a little pale and ashen.</p><p>  “I, um, honestly don’t remember. Is something w--”</p><p>-... .- -.-. -.- / ... --- / ... --- --- -. ..--..</p><p>  “My legs are going to be dead by the end of this,” Alyssa sighed. “So, you came here a lot as a kid, right?”</p><p>  “Yeah,” Winnie nodded, walking past a large pond. “Well-- not a lot, but sometimes.” She paused for a moment, then went on, “With, umm... With Shelby.”</p><p>Then, her heart dropped into her stomach. The words had slipped free without her consent, but she got control of her brain once more.</p><p>  “Something is… Alyssa, something is wrong. We’ve walked past this pond, like, twice now.”</p><p>  “Really? Are you sure?” Alyssa asked. Winnie stared at her in shock.</p><p>  “You really don’t remember, Alyssa? You’ve been asking me if I’ve come here as a kid over and over again!”</p><p>  “I have?” Alyssa’s eyes widened a little. “I don’t-- I’m sorry, Winnie, but I don’t understand. Can you try to explain it to me?”</p><p>  “We keep repeating this one moment over and over again, and I don’t--” Winnie pressed the heel of her palm to her temple. “God, if my head would stop hurting for two friggin’ seconds, then maybe I’d be able to think straight!” A blizzard of white suddenly obscured her vision, as if called upon by her griping, but she fought through it enough to notice a soccer ball sitting a few feet away. “That is, uh, new.”</p><p>  “Wasn’t there before?” Alyssa asked.</p><p>  “Yeah…” Winnie kicked the ball. “Take that. Ball.”</p><p>Alyssa laughed.</p><p>Until the ball rolled back to Winnie’s feet.</p><p>Winnie’s head snapped around to look at Alyssa, whose eyes were wide in shock.</p><p>  “What…?” Winnie whispered. She kicked the ball again. There was a snap from behind her that made her muscles lurch.</p><p>  “I’m taking a picture of the ball moving, not your kicking, just so you know,” Alyssa informed her. She took another photo, this time with the flash.</p><p>  “ƒê†¢h… ƒê†¢h…”</p><p>The ball was kicked back.</p><p>Dread spilled through Winnie’s stomach. Her gut was screaming at her to run away, but there was nowhere to go.</p><p>(perhaps she could just jump into the ravine and let the rocks and trees down below rip her to shreds)</p><p>  “Alright,” She found her voice and made it as angry as possible. “Who are you?”</p><p>
  <b>  “Alright, who are you?”</b>
</p><p>That was her voice.</p><p>  “Maybe don’t, uhh…antagonize whoever is doing this…” Alyssa suggested nervously. She was rooted firmly at her place by the fire.</p><p>  “Uhh…haha…” Winnie managed to choke our fearful laughter. “Good one!” She kicked the ball again.</p><p>It did not come back.</p><p>  “That was…weird.” She whispered. “C-come on, ‘Lyssa.”</p><p>She began walking alongside the pond again. When she looked up, she saw two glowing red dots bearing down on her.</p><p>  “ƒê†¢h. ƒê†¢h.”</p><p>Blackness spread on a chunk of stone that used to be a ruined building. It started at the dots, hazing into a circular form, then smeared down, painting in a hunched formation for a body and then adding two long lines for the arms.</p><p>  “Winnie,” Alyssa whispered. She wasn’t looking at the sudden artistry. “You might wanna come take a look at this.”</p><p>Winnie backed away from the debris and back over to Alyssa. She was looking down at her phone. The photo displayed on the screen showed her staring at the camera in confusion. The flash that had gone off illuminated the huge, hulking body of the black figure standing mere feet behind her.</p><p>.-- . / -- .. ... ... . -.. / -.-- --- ..- .-.-.- / .-.. . - / ..- ... / --. . - / -.. --- .-- -. / - --- / -... ..- ... .. -. . ... ... / -. --- .-- --..-- / ... .... .- .-.. .-.. / .-- . ..--..</p><p>  “Yeah,” Winnie nodded, walking past a large pond. “Well-- not a lot, but sometimes.” She paused for a moment, then went on, “With, umm... With Shelby.”</p><p>She said that, but there was no leading question.</p><p>There was no Alyssa.</p><p>  “Alyssa?” Winnie called out. “Alyssa, where-- where are you?!”</p><p>She pulled her green cardigan closer around herself as she hurried down the path that passed by the pond. Rockets of anxiety were shooting through her, more so now that Alyssa wasn’t there by her side.</p><p>It was strange, she thought, how attached she had become to the girl she’d only known for--she checked the time on her phone. the numbers were stuck at 12:11--such a little amount of time.</p><p>She looked down from her phone.</p><p>Down at her reflection in the water.</p><p>Down at <em> her </em> in the water.</p><p>Winnie’s muscles clenched so tightly she thought they may snap her bones in two.</p><p>  “Wh-what the…”</p><p><b>  “Don’t tell Shelby to stop hanging out with Kaylee. They really like each other.”</b> Said the Other-Winnie.</p><p>  “How-- But…Shelby’s… Shelby’s dead. How could I even--”</p><p>-.. --- / -- . / .- / ..-. .- ...- --- .-. --..-- / -.. . .- .-. --..-- / .- -. -.. / --. .-. . . - / - .... . / .--. . .-. ... --- -. / ... - .- -. -.. .. -. --. / -... . .... .. -. -.. / -.-- --- ..- / .-. .. --. .... - / -. --- .-- .-.-.-</p><p>  “Wait-- wait-- we’ve done this before.”</p><p>Winnie whirled around and her heart leapt into her throat when she saw Alyssa standing there with her.</p><p>  “Now you realize?” She said.</p><p>  “Sorry, I just couldn’t--” Alyssa shook her head. “Maybe we missed something?”</p><p>  “Maybe…”</p><p>They walk past the pond for the fifth time (<em> sixth time-- tenth time-- hundredth time-- </em>). The fire had gone out. A large reel-to-reel tape player sat nearby its smoldered ashes.</p><p>  “Woah,” Alyssa said. “That wasn’t there before, right? Or am I…?”</p><p>  “No, you’re right,” Winnie said. “Wow. It’s super old but almost spotless.” She grabbed the handle, glanced at Alyssa, then started to twist it around. A tune began to play.</p><p>A tune that was distorted by the frizzing of static.</p><p>When Winnie managed to open her eyes again (she hadn’t realized how difficult it’d been until that moment), the tape player was gone.</p><p>  “You know,” Alyssa started softly. “I haven’t realized there was this…<em> pressure </em> in my head until just now. Maybe that fixed the loop.”</p><p>Winnie clenched and unclenched her fingers. They felt a little more real, now. Not like they were dangling off of her hands from weak threads that could snap at any moment.</p><p>  “Maybe,” Winnie whispered. She and Alyssa passed by the pond for the final (<em> not final, not last, will come back-- can’t leave-- </em>) time. Neither of them looked at the black mess on the broken wall. “Can you remember any of the loops?”</p><p>  “Not…not really,” Alyssa admitted. “But I remember the ball thing. That’s good, isn’t it?”</p><p>  “Yeah.”</p><p>A heavy silence fell between the two of them as they trekked up the hiking trail, across a bridge, and back down a small hill. Their knees were wobbling, leg muscles burning from all the walking and climbing, but at least they weren’t being chased by anything.</p><p>  “Hey,” Alyssa spoke up, cutting away the still silence with her smooth voice. “Is that Emma?”</p><p>Winnie looked in the direction her head was twisted in. Down by a small grove of autumn-blazed bushes, Emma was looking around aimlessly. She was hugging herself tightly.</p><p>The sisters approached the girl. When they got close, Emma reared back, stepping away. Her eyes were too wide.</p><p>  “D-- don’t-- don’t move, okay? Don’t come anywhere near me!” She yelled.</p><p>  “Emma?” Alyssa said in confusion.</p><p>  “Emma, come on, it’s us.” Winnie said. “You can see that it’s us. It’s me and Alyssa.”</p><p>Emma looked them up and down cautiously. She was still very on edge and bristled.</p><p>  “This night has turned--banana bread. Really fast. And I’m seeing things and forgetting things and I’ve bumped into you once already… And that was horrible.”</p><p>Winnie and Alyssa exchanged looks.</p><p>  “We haven’t-- this is the first time we’ve seen you since the beach,” Winnie said.</p><p>Emma didn’t look convinced. “Be that as it may, I’ve seen <em> a Winnie </em>.” </p><p>  “What are you talking about?” </p><p>  “I’m talking about the Winnie at the pier,” Emma explained. “After the cave looked like freakin’ 4th of July and I lost track of everybody.”</p><p>  “Emma, that wasn’t us.” Alyssa said. Hearing that made shivers run down all of their spines.</p><p>  “I don’t know that yet,” Emma said. She took another small step back. “So, look-- you are <em> not </em> going to talk about my grandfather. You’re going to stand there and, very politely, tell me where Kaylee is.”</p><p>  “We haven’t seen her,” Winnie answered her, “We were looking for Kevin.”</p><p>  “Have you seen him?” Alyssa asked.</p><p>Emma shifted. “No. Not Kevin.”</p><p>  “Well-- Maybe you should come with us,” Alyssa offered. “It’ll be better to stay as a group.”</p><p>  “No-- no!” Emma jumped back when Alyssa tried to get near her. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”</p><p>  “Emma, wait--” Winnie held her hands out like she was trying to calm a wild animal. “You don’t have to come with us but can you…” She looked at Alyssa for assistance.</p><p>  “Go to the Comm Tower,” Alyssa said.</p><p>  “Right! Yeah! The Comm Tower!” Winnie looked back at Emma. </p><p>  “We got the lights on and everything,” Alyssa went on. “Can you go there?”</p><p>  “The Comm Tower,” Emma repeated to herself, as if she were trying to make it sound real. “And where is that?”</p><p>  “It’s the cloud-buster at the edge of town,” Alyssa said, then raised an arm and pointed to the slight yellow light peeking through the towering trees blocking out the sky. “You can’t miss it. Just go there, please, and wait for us. We’ll be there soon.”</p><p>(they hoped.)</p><p>Emma hesitated. “Alright.” She finally said. “Uhh… Bye.”</p><p>She turned and ran off down the path. Winnie and Alyssa were left in silence. They exchanged looks once, then moved on.</p><p>Through the brush and up the hills they went. The next part of the forest they delved into was even darker than the last, even though there was a lamppost on at the top of the hill. It was like the night was blocking out every ounce of brightness.</p><p>To try and distract themselves from this, Alyssa began to talk.</p><p>  “Okay, that must be the way station.” Alyssa said, looking up at a small house up the hill. “Now, tell me: why would an island need one exactly?”</p><p>  “This was a, ah, mining island before the war,” Winnie told her. “And the land, you know, as you can tell-- it wasn’t really conducive to most different ways of transport, so they dug into the hills and laid down tracks and carted the coal by freight to the, uh, the pier for the boats.”</p><p>Alyssa whistled, then gave a light laugh. “You’re pretty smart, little red.”</p><p>The tag-teamed compliment and affectionate nickname made Winnie blush shyly. “I just memorized it from the tours. They do tours of the island, in case you didn’t know.”</p><p>  “Maybe we’ll be a part of the information after tonight,” Alyssa said. “What with everything going on.”</p><p>  “Maybe,” Winnie said as they arrived at the cabin.</p><p>Upon entering, they saw Kevin huddled on the floor. His eyes had been blankly staring at the wall, but when the sisters appeared in the doorway, they lit up.</p><p>  “Oh man, thank god!” He jumped up. “I thought you were a werewolf!” He hugged Winnie. Alyssa just got a wave.</p><p>  “I’m glad you’re okay,” Winnie said, relieved for her friend. “Or-- as okay as you can be right now. It’s pretty bad out there.”</p><p>  “No, yeah, I’m fine.” Kevin said. “Do you have, like, <em> any </em> idea what’s going on?”</p><p>Winnie opened her mouth--</p><p>.- -. -.. / -.-. .... --- -.- . -.. / --- -. / .... . .-. / -... .-.. --- --- -.. / .- ... / - .... --- ... . / .-- .- - . .-. .-.. --- --. --. . -.. / ... --- ..- .-.. ... / ..-. --- ..- -. -.. / ... --- .-.. .- -.-. . / .. -. ... .. -.. . / .... . .-. / -... --- -.. -.--</p><p>  “Okay, that must be the way station.” Alyssa said, looking up at a small house up the hill. “Now, tell me: why would an island need one exactly?”</p><p>  “Alyssa! We’re repeating the same thing again!” Winnie almost whined.</p><p>  “We are?” Alyssa looked at Winnie, and Winnie answered in a distraught nod. “Huh. Kinda weird that you can tell when it’s happening and I can’t, right?” </p><p>  “I don’t understand it, either.”</p><p>They continued down the path for the second (<em> third, fourth, fifth, hundredth- </em>-) time until they noticed Kevin hunched over a few yards away. When they both tried to call out to him, he turned abruptly and began walking up to the way station before stopping and standing still again. His body began to jitter and twitch sporadically.</p><p>  “What’s…what’s going on?” Winnie whispered. She waved a hand in front of Kevin’s face, but his eyes were completely blank. Glazed. Blind. “He’s like-- sick, or something.” </p><p>  “This isn’t a guy on drugs,” Alyssa said uneasily. “Not that I want to, like, alarm you or anything.”</p><p>  “Yeah…” Winnie noticed two tape players nearby and walked up to them as Alyssa stayed with Kevin.</p><p>  “This is so weird,” Alyssa whispered as Winnie cranked the handle on one of the tape players. She looked up at her. “What are you doing?”</p><p>  “This-- I don’t know if you remember, but the last time we got stuck in a loop, we used one of these to get out.” Winnie explained, walking over to the other one.</p><p>  “I remember, I remember.” Alyssa said. “Kinda.” She watched as Winnie cranked the handle on the second tape player and--</p><p>- .... . -.-- / .-- . .-. . / .- .-.. .-.. / .-. .. .--. .--. . -.. / - --- / .--. .. . -.-. . ... --..-- / .- / --. .-.. --- .-. .. --- ..- ... / -.. .. ... .--. .-.. .- -.-- / --- ..-. / -... .-.. --- --- -.. / .- -. -.. / --. --- .-. . --..-- / - .... . .. .-. / -.-. --- .-. .--. ... . ... / .... --- ... - / ..-. --- .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / - .... .. -. --. ... / .-- . - / .- -. -.. / .- -. --. ..- .. ... .... . -..</p><p>Kevin was gone.</p><p>  “Oh no,” Winnie whispered.</p><p>She and Alyssa hurried through the way station cabin, exiting out through the other side and ran up a small hill. There, standing on the edge of a cliff face, was Kevin.</p><p>But it wasn’t Kevin. Or maybe it was, but something was definitely wrong.</p><p>Whorls of black mist wreathed around his body, which was hunched limply like his spine had been broken. He was mumbling inaudible gibberish. Red light glowed from his eyes.</p><p>The same shade of red as the lamp had been.</p><p>As the shadow on the wall had been.</p><p>  “Oh god,” Winnie muttered.</p><p>  “Shit,” Alyssa hissed. “We-- we gotta do something! We can’t just leave him like this!”</p><p>  “Yeah, yeah, you’re right, but--” Winnie clenched her fists in her pockets. </p><p>Clenched them around the radio. </p><p>She pulled it out and tried to tune in.</p><p>
  <b>98.1</b>
</p><p>An iridescent triangle etched itself out in the middle of the air. Kevin fell to his knees, gurgling.</p><p>  “Woah. Is this-- is this helping or hurting him?” Alyssa asked worriedly.</p><p>  “It’s all I can think of to do!” Winnie snapped.</p><p>
  <b>105.2</b>
</p><p>A line streaked from one point of the triangle and formed a second one. Kevin’s body was suspended in the air by an unseen force. He was now gagging, almost choking. Alyssa said nothing. Winnie didn’t, either.</p><p>They couldn’t.</p><p>(it was choking them.)</p><p>
  <b>99.1</b>
</p><p>The triangle was complete.</p><p>Kevin was unceremoniously dropped to the ground. He was no longer smoking or choking. Alyssa went to his aid.</p><p>  “HårÐ †ð †ålk †hrðµgh ¢hïlÐ.”</p><p>Something appeared to grab Alyssa and her body went limp. Then, in a blink of an eye, she was gone. Winnie was startled out of her daze.</p><p>  “£êêl§ §†rê†¢hêÐ. ßê††êr ñðw.”</p><p>  “Alyssa?!” Winnie cried, looking around frantically. That intense feeling of separation anxiety came back strong. “Where did you--?!”</p><p>  “Wê årê åßðµñÐïñg. ñð† ðñê. §ïll¥. rêÐ håïr.”</p><p>It was the voices from the cave, Winnie realized.</p><p>She looked up at the triangle slowly, swallowing hard. “What…are you?”</p><p>  “Ìñ. ßê†wêêñ. £å§†êñêÐ. ßµ†. Lðð§ê. GrðµñÐêÐ.” Answered the voices. “ßµ† Ðð ñð† ßê §¢årêÐ. ¥ðµ årê Ððll§. WðµlÐ ñêvêr hµr† ¥ðµ. Çåñ ñð† hµr† ¥ðµ.”</p><p>Winnie took a small step back. The presence of the triangle or portal--whatever it may be (<em> don’t know, it’s everywhere, the Gate-- </em>)--made her temples throb horribly.</p><p>  “Can you help us?” Winnie asked. “We’re… we’re stuck here and we just wanna go home.”</p><p>  “Hðmê. ÈÐgêwå†êr. Wê wïll gð hðmê. Äll ð£ µ§.”</p><p>  “Can we-- can we help <em> you </em>?” Winnie offered meekly.</p><p>  “Lêåvê. þð§§ïßlê.”</p><p>
  <b>  “I…I don’t know what you mean, so… I can’t…”</b>
</p><p>That was Winnie’s voice.</p><p>But it didn’t come from her mouth.</p><p>Nor did she remember ever saying it.</p><p>  “GrðµñÐêÐ. ß¥ †hê Ðï¢kïñ§ðñ. Äñgïê.” Said the voices. Then, slowly, it oozed out, “þrê††¥ lï††lê þðþþ¥.”</p><p>  “Angie Dickinson…? You mean that old lady? What does she have to do with anything?” Winnie asked.</p><p>  “†hå† ðlÐ wðmåñ. Wå§ ¥ðµñg. Öñ¢ê.” Said the voices. “Wê wêrê ¥ðµñg. Öñ¢ê.”</p><p>Distorted figures flashed around Winnie’s vision. White dots, red dots, black hazes-- she couldn’t look fast enough to know what they really were.</p><p>  “§ï† §†ïll.” Said the voices. “ßêår ƒrµï†.” It halted for a moment. “†åg.”</p><p>Winnie’s head was split open by unseen hands and her brains spilled out everywhere.</p><p>  “¥ðµ. Ì†.”</p><p>She gasped and doubled over, pressing her hands against her knees. She saw Kevin stir and start to get up. There were footsteps behind her-- Alyssa’s footsteps.</p><p>Then, a scream. </p><p>Kevin’s scream. </p><p>Winnie and Alyssa screamed, too.</p><p>  “Holy mother of god, you guys!” Kevin cried. “That was-- oh my god!”</p><p>  “Kevin!” Winnie’s relief coated her voice thickly. “Are you okay? How are you?”</p><p>  “Just-- give me a second. Give me a week.” Kevin ran his hands through his messy hair. “Why-- Why is this-- Why-- actually, thanks for coming by the way!”</p><p>“Sure,” Alyssa said.</p><p><em>   “Why is this happening?! </em> ” Kevin shrieked, and Winnie winced at his volume. “I’ve-- I’ve been here before! I’ve visited this place, like, <em> fifteen times </em>!! This has never happened before!”</p><p>  “We…” Winnie glanced nervously at Alyssa, “Kinda…did something…weird…”</p><p>  “What-- what do you mean?” Kevin blinked. “Did you-- did you curse the island? Did you curse the island, you witch you! I <em> knew </em>the superstition about redheads being witches had some truth to it!”</p><p>  “It was-- when we went into the cave,” Winnie tried to explain, but it felt like she was grasping at nothing. None of this still made any sense at all. It felt like a fever dream.</p><p>  “We all went into the cave,” Kevin said.</p><p>  “The deeper part of the cave,” Alyssa specified.</p><p>  “The deeper part of the cave?” Kevin echoed.</p><p>  “Just listen!”</p><p>  “There was this--<em> triangle </em>--and I, try to stay with me here, attempted to ‘tune in’ to it for, you know…funsies, and then everything just went House of Horrors on us.” Winnie explained as best as she could, but the words made her tongue feel like lead. </p><p>  “Yeesh,” Kevin winced. “If I don’t have our skin tomorrow, I’m blaming you.”</p><p>(funny. how funny.)</p><p>  <em> “God, does anyone-- is this thing working?” </em>Emma’s voice suddenly crackled out from the speaker nearby.</p><p>  “Emma?” Kevin said. </p><p>  <em> “If anyone can hear this, I’m at the, uhh, Comm Tower on Edward’s Island,” </em> Emma announced. <em> “Me and my friends, we--” </em>Roaring static swallowed up her voice into nothingness.</p><p>  “Well,” Alyssa said. “At least she listened to us. We should probably go meet up with her.”</p><p>  “What about Kaylee?” Kevin said.</p><p>Winnie perked up. “You know where Kaylee is?” </p><p>  “She’s at Fort Milner,” Kevin told her. “She called the way station after I got cut off with you guys. I would have gone to her, but… Yeah. No way. I wasn’t going out there alone.”</p><p>Winnie realized how lucky she was to have been with Alyssa all this time. Everyone else had been alone.</p><p>She probably would have lost her mind.</p><p>  “We should split up,” Kevin then suggested. “I’ll go to Emma, and you two go round up Kaylee!”</p><p>  “Leaving the heavy lifting to us,” Alyssa said dryly. “Thanks.”</p><p>  “No problem!” Kevin beamed, somehow still chipper even after what had happened to him. “I’ll see you guys later! Good luck!”</p><p>  “Milner ho?” Alyssa said after Kevin headed for the Comm Tower where Emma was.</p><p>Winnie smiled slightly.</p><p>  “Milner ho.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>comments are greatly appreciated! ^^</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. time. just time.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When the throes of sleep deprivation really took hold, there was a certain fuzziness that surrounded everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After staying awake for almost the entire night now, Winnie was starting to feel the full effect of her avoidance of sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had pulled all-nighters before, that in itself wasn’t a stranger to her, but now there was the added exhaustion and stress of trekking across a seemingly-stranded island with what appeared to be ghosts following them around for reasons they still didn’t know. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That </span>
  </em>
  <span>was what really did a number on her, and it quickly began to feel like she had been awake for </span>
  <em>
    <span>days</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not just a few hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something wasn’t right about that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not only was she grimly reminded of all the aches and pains that usually came with sleep deprivation, but her stomach started to hurt at some point, too. She remembered reading somewhere (ironically, it was probably late at night when she should have been asleep) that lack of sleep started to deteriorate the immune system after awhile, weakening it and causing symptoms of illness. She was hoping </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the reason for her nausea because all the other possibilities were much more sinister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cause of her constant headache was </span>
  <em>
    <span>sinister.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But the thing about sleep deprivation was that it began to creep into the rest of the day. Winnie had already often felt nervous or jittery, already occasionally seeing things that weren’t there out of the corner of her eye (or in front of her eye, if she was taking in account of the soccer ball incident…) or suddenly remembered something that left her paralyzed in fear, trying desperately to convince her body that NO, no, all that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>over</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it’d already happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In its beginning stages, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> had been manageable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But upon getting stuck in that loop by the campgrounds, the biggest problem came when that sizzling, white noise of anxiety that had started filling her up like tepid water during the hours that didn’t have any weird activity, brought on without mercy by the fear, had started to materialize into even </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t really fear was it? No, fear, at least, stayed in its territory of the regular mind. Whatever she was feeling right now was most definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>basic fear. If anything, she would have much preferred it to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This-- this was full-blown </span>
  <em>
    <span>terror.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie had never understood why the human mind chose to react to stress by turning it into a self-replicating anxiety loop where you got stressed about the fact that you were stressed to begin with, but she didn’t have the energy to question it. The only boon that arose from this worsened situation was that the original cause of fear, the first triangle in the cave, began to plague her world a little less frequently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this was only because it had been replaced by others.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dozens and dozens of others, piling into her head like passengers onto a morning bus that had arrived just early enough that they’d stuck out the delay, and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>late</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough that they were all aggravated about having to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All kinds of…</span>
  <em>
    <span>events</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some, like the first, were simply a triangle. A weird formation of branches, scuffs in the dirt, cracks in a window, stars in the sky- she became hyper-aware that there were triangles all around her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes it was the thing she had thought she had seen back in the clearing with the cable car- a head. It could be faceless, it could have a face, it could barely be a face at all. They never did anything, never said things to her, never got closer from where they were peeking out from doorways or the trees or around corners, but they were there and they were horrifying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some were about unrelated things so random and mundane that they were absurd, yet they somehow added to her anxiety just as much as the others. These didn’t appear before her eyes, rather coming upon her as a powerful sensation that nearly made her double over with dread. Sometimes it was the terrifying feeling that she hadn’t buckled her seatbelt, only to reach over in the chair she was sitting in and realize she was most definitely not in a car or even sitting down at all. Or suddenly remembering that there was something she’d left behind or forgotten to put away all the way back at the Comm Tower. These ones bothered her more than she felt justified in being bothered by, and more than she liked to admit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And some…some were people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mom and dad, her new mom, her friends, Alyssa, people she didn’t even know, some old woman…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They would just--</span>
  <em>
    <span>stand there. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Never in front of her, rather always just out of the corner of her eye, lurking in her blindspots so she only caught glimpses of them. They always put her on high alert, thinking a threat was there, but there never was, and that drove her insane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe that was the point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie shook her head, clearing the haze of fog that had been slowly filling her mind. She looked at Alyssa, who was quietly walking at her side as they went through the ruined buildings of Fort Milner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something about abandoned buildings lying around made Fort Milner ten times more creepy than the woods. Sure, the forest could hide so many things, but anyone could be peering out of that stained, murky glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which was why it had been such a bone-chilling shock to idly look at one of the windows of an old brick building and see a knife poised at the back of her head in the reflection. And behind it, a pair of angry, bloodshot, glowing red eyes set in a face as pale as a toadstool sprouting from the lawn after a rainstorm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only for an instant. When Winnie blinked, it was gone. But seeing it once was enough, and she flinched backwards into Alyssa with a gasp. Alyssa jumped in reaction, then set her hands on her shoulders to steady her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Woah, woah,” Alyssa said. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie glanced at the window, but saw nothing. “Y-yeah,” She said. “I just-- I thought I saw something. Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shuffled onwards without looking back. She was starting to realize that she was shaking more than she used to, and her eyes felt itchy and sore. Her heart sometimes pounded even when she hadn’t been upset or startled or even </span>
  <em>
    <span>moving</span>
  </em>
  <span> particularly emphatically. The sour prickle of unease that she had been carrying in her stomach since the incident in the cave had become a constant twinge; an unpleasant squirming that made her feel ashamed even when there was nothing in particular to feel ashamed </span>
  <em>
    <span>about.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The sudden sound of the loudspeakers cracking to life didn’t help the tense mood, either.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Hello? Can anybody hear me?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kaylee’s voice spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>“Kaylee?” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “If-- if anyone can hear me I’m at Fort Milner in the-- I think the gym?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She sounds…scared,” Winnie said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Alyssa agreed. “I mean, I would be, too. I am, but at least I’m not alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie nodded as they got to the door leading to the next area of the Fort, only to find it locked. She sighed and walked to the other buildings as Alyssa went on about her theory over the whole thing: It was a government experiment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Alyssa was explaining this, Winnie noticed a red light flickering at the top as a gazebo-like structure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the same shade of red that the lamp in the forest cabin had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the thing on the wall had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Kevin’s eyes had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sisters climbed the ladder leading up to the platform. The higher they went, the louder a certain buzzing sound became, and it nearly overwhelmed Winnie so much that she almost fell down onto Alyssa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once at the top, Winnie took out her radio and began to tune in.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>102.3</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The red light overhead shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, sprinkling Winnie and Alyssa in shards. At the same time, the sky split with a jagged bolt of white lightning and rain came pouring down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝔻𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖!” Chimed a gameshow host-like voice from the radio. “𝕀𝕥’𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠𝕠 𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕥! ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖--” It cut off abruptly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What the hell is this?” Alyssa muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝔻𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪 𝕒 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The locked door nearby swung open. And upon walking through it, it immediately slammed shut behind them again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Fuck,” Alyssa hissed, yanking on the doorknob. “It’s locked. Of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well… We didn’t really…need to go back, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa looked over at her. “No. I guess not.” She looked around the dark room. “Where are we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smell of must was overpowered by the smell of rain, which was leaking in through a huge crater where parts of the wall must have fallen away. It was nearly impossible to see a few feet in front of them, so Winnie and Alyssa both turned on their phone flashlights. It was the only use for them so far, seeing as the island had no signal whatsoever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This is the, umm, dorm building, I believe,” Winnie said as she and Alyssa walked down a staircase leading deeper into the structure. Rain was spit onto them as they went, and the slickness of the steps kept trying to make them slip and fall. “This is-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a school for military kids. They would learn how to do things like code breaking and stuff like that before it moved somewhere in California, if I remember correctly. It was supposed to be turned into a museum afterwards, but they kinda shut the whole project down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I can see why,” Alyssa said after nearly busting her ass on the cement when her foot slid in a puddle. “Dangerous AND spooky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Heh. Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa angled her flashlight up, at the moss-eaten walls, and idly asked, “So… Kaylee and Shelby… Were they close?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “They dated for a short amount of time,” Winnie told her. “Annoyingly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, really?” Alyssa looked over at her, surprised. “Was she--Shelby--the type of girl to </span>
  <em>
    <span>go </span>
  </em>
  <span>for that sort of thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie blinked. “What sort of thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “You know, like…” Alyssa was groping for an explanation. “Intense, I guess? Kaylee seems, ah, spitfire, I mean. And Shelby-- well, I’ve heard stories about her before. She sounded pretty chill. So opposites attract, I guess?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie shifted her shoulders, pulling her green cardigan closer around her. She tried to imagine it was Shelby’s arms around her. “I-- I guess? It wasn’t ever really any of my business, but Kaylee is pretty, Shelby is-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>pretty, they were close… They just kinda matched out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ah,” Alyssa nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why do you ask?” Winnie looked at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, just curious,” Alyssa said. “Just distracting us from what’s going on. Making chit chat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>like </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kaylee?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What? No!” Alyssa yelped. “No, I don’t! I’m not-- I mean, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but-- not for </span>
  <em>
    <span>her.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie laughed. “I knew it! I knew you were gay!” She smirked triumphantly. “Lemme guess: for Emma?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ah--” Alyssa rubbed the back of her head. “Am I really that obvious?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Just a little,” Winnie giggled. “Hey, I think you got a chance. Emma is single, so shoot your shot, buster!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa laughed. “Alright, hold your horses. We have other things to deal with right now than budding rom-- Hey, that’s-- that’s Kaylee!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Winnie by surprise, so much so that she almost missed Alyssa racing up a flight of stairs and into a side room on one of the upper levels of the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa!” Winnie cried, racing after her sister. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. “Alyssa, what happened? Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Shit- shit, shit!” Winnie turned around and passed by a large, rectangular mirror mounted on the wall--only to freeze as a flash of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She jerked her head around to see the source, but was met only with her own dull-eyed reflection in the glass. Winnie blustered at it, then puffed out a slight sigh of relief, as she had many times before when she would realize something was not her hallucinations waking up to haunt her. Every time a sudden jolt of panic turned out to be baseless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head with a sigh and went to go to the kitchen--but then another flash of movement in the mirror caught her eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind her reflection, down the staircase and through the doorway into one of the dorm rooms, something was happening on a bed. The sheets were rippling, as though a gentle breeze was blowing across them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, there seemed to be nothing unusual about it. It was probably just what she had thought- a breeze. The storm </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> leaking into the building, after all. She didn’t even know why she had stopped to look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then the blankets bunched up as something moved underneath them- a pair of hips scrunching into the air as their unseen owner stretched luxuriously. Then, slowly, they began to move against the mattress in a way that could not be mistaken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>a breeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s blood ran cold as she stared, mesmerized, at the undulating shape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no swish of cloth, no creaking of the springs in the mattress, to accompany what was happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because there was no one else who was </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the room with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her brain knew this, even as her heart gave its initial jump at the sudden, panicky thought that something was in the bed that she didn’t know about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t real.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It isn’t real.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She repeated this to herself over and over in her head, as she had every other time she’d seen things moving where they shouldn’t, seen familiar faces where they weren’t, been paralyzed by innocuous sounds whose only crime was sounding similar to noises she’d heard in the cave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But though the mantra started out calmly, it quickly escalated into an anguished internal wailing as the mattress itself began to move, its sides swelling in and out grotesquely.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Breathing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not real! It’s not real! It’s not real!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A deep, baritone hissing filled the air and Winnie felt her knees grow weak, her head become feather-light. In the mirror, she could see the fabric twitching wildly in places, as though the upholstery hid spasming muscles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The posts holding the bed up had thickened and now they were bending, lifting it from the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to turn around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew that if she turned around and looked, </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually looked</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it would be gone and the bed would be just as inanimate as it had always been and everything would be fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But her eyes felt pinned to the mirror, even as she screamed at herself in her head to run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t until the choppy, obscene hissing became a guttural growl that sounded too human-like, like a person doing a bad impression of an aggressive dog, and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the reflection, blankets turned tight and leathery, like the skin of corpses sewn together, had turned slowly to face her, that her brain was finally able to send an impulse to her feet and get them moving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was real. IT WAS REAL.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was going to die.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie stepped back from the mirror faintly and began to turn, but the room swam dizzily around her. A dull jolt of pain exploded in the small of her back as she bounced off of a low-hanging shelf on the way down, and then she hit the floor hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like forever that she writhed clumsily down there on the dirty cement, trying to fight off the dangerous light-headedness that had sent her falling in the first place, but when she finally rolled onto her front and scrambled partially upright to face into the rest of the room, eyes wide and lungs wheezing--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing except for the same partially-crinkled bed that was being brushed by a light breeze, inanimate and motionless as ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The growling was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The static was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a few moments Winnie just stayed there, staring at the room and breathing shallowly. Then, slowly and shakily, she pushed herself to her feet. When nothing catastrophic happened, she stumbled away from the mirror and to the staircase. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was going to lose her mind in there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she was walking up the steps, she tried not to look at the black figure staring in at her from the windows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stepped into the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure was there again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Its body was a mere outline of iridescent static, but its eyes remained a blistering shade of crimson.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie didn’t see it this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked to the end of the room, finding a light switch on the far wall. She flipped it. The lights burst to life throughout the entire facility.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Testing, testing--”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Alyssa’s voice came from the speakers. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay, I can’t hear anything outside, but there’s this radio thing so-- Listen, Kaylee’s not in here, it’s just a room, so riddle me that, first of all, and second of all, I can’t get out.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hold on, I’ll figure something out.” Winnie called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked down the staircase again. This time, the figure was not watching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “I can’t hear anything outside at all, but there’s just a really weird lock in here,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alyssa continued to babble on, and the sound of her voice was comforting to Winnie, especially when she had to hype herself up to pass the mirror. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she did, there was nothing moving in it. Nothing except her own reflection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking at it warily, still nervous to see one of the beds move again, Winnie truly realized how rugged she had become over such a short amount of time. Her grey eyes, now dull and hollow, were shadowed by bags so dark they were bordering on black, as if she had been awake for a lot longer than a few hours (</span>
  <em>
    <span>she had, she had, she had</span>
  </em>
  <span>). Her hair was quite literally a rat’s nest on top of her head, gnarled and knotted and even missing a few patches in some areas, though she hadn’t realized any locks had been ripped out at the time. Her nose was inflamed and red as if she had a sinus infection, and her flushed cheeks made it look like she was being forced to function with a fever at the same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie dragged a hand down her face, pulling the pallid flesh this way and that, and morosely wondering if she would ever resemble the clean-cut, rich white girl from the Thompson family photos (if she had been allowed to take them with the others or hadn’t been cut out, that is) ever again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Probably not. She didn’t think the light could ever return to her dead-looking eyes. Even </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>was scared by how glassy they were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a heavy sigh, she shook her head and straightened up again, her reflection leaning back away from her. They regarded each other in sympathetic silence for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You poor, ugly bastard,</span>
  </em>
  <span> the reflection seemed to say. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You deserve it, you know. In case you weren’t aware. This is all your fault. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You </span>
  <em>
    <span>brought the radio.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, don’t worry, I’m aware,” She muttered to herself, and then she realized that her reflection hadn’t opened its mouth to mimic her. It just…stared at her with those dull, dead fish-like eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s heart leapt into her throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “H-hello?” She squeaked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her reflection shuddered and twitched before opening its mouth, even though her own was firmly shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “When the time comes, let Alyssa talk to her dad.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Her…her dad is gone… I know her dad is gone! How does…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Static filled Winnie’s mind. She screwed her eyes shut for a moment and when they opened again, her reflection was moving with her like normal.</span>
</p><p><em><span>  “--you know, I never wanted to be a DJ.”</span></em> <span>Alyssa’s voice was back, but Winnie hadn’t even realized it had disappeared. </span><em><span>“And this isn’t really enticing me to start, but... I can sorta see the appeal now, y’know? But I’d be a horrible talk radio guy, like just giving opinions? I wouldn’t really know what to say, really. I wouldn’t want to do it anyways, it’d be like a slow, horrible death by anxiety or something, talking to all those listeners. And they have to get up at like 3AM, right? Those guys, those-- those talk radio guys. To start at, like, five? I’d be-- I’d be, like, the late night, like the-- the late night old tunes station. That’d be cool. Like-- like-- DJ Greene in the HOUSE!”</span></em></p><p>
  <span>Winnie hurried over to the door and--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--and opened it on one try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh,” Alyssa said from inside. “One way lock?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Maybe, DJ Greene.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa wrinkled her nose. “Anyway-- thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Physically? Yeah. Mentaly?” Alyssa gave a light laugh. “I’m not one to hate things, but I hated </span>
  <em>
    <span>all of that.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m glad you’re okay,” Winnie said. “Or as okay as we can be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Alyssa sidled past Winnie, not wanting to stay in there any longer, while Winnie checked out the room. There, she found a padlock code for a locked door downstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey--” Alyssa said from outside. “Did you see that? In the mirror?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ice shot through Winnie’s veins. She hurried over to Alyssa, who was holding her phone out to the mirror. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Uh, don’t think I’m nuts or anything, but my reflection kind of gave me, like, fatherly advice that made absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>no sense </span>
  </em>
  <span>when you were stuck just now, so…” Winnie shifted at her sister’s side. “Just so you know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa looked at her, then looked into the mirror. Both of their reflections seemed fine…for now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, that’s…” Alyssa swallowed thickly. “I’m going to take a picture. Maybe it’ll, I dunno, do something? Also proof when this is all over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, yeah,” Winnie nodded. “We may need that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa took the picture. They both looked down at the screen, but didn’t inspect the photo for long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both saw the figure standing right behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now it was starting to look a little </span>
  <em>
    <span>red</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Three…four…eighteen…” Winnie recited while putting the combo in for the locked door downstairs. “And…” It opened up. “Viola!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Isn’t it ‘voila’?” Alyssa asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I like ‘viola.’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa laughed, then stopped abruptly and jumped around. Winnie was about to ask when had startled her, when she felt it, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The…</span>
  <em>
    <span>static.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What was that?” Alyssa whispered to her, as if she were hoping that the thing stalking them wouldn’t hear her talking about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I-- uhh…” Winnie looked around, but didn’t see anything that time, which was surprising given that she had been seeing </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot of things.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “You tell me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa looked out into the dark stairwell, then the even darker hallway, then the completely dark dorm room, and then stepped back and grabbed Winnie’s hand protectively.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m just gonna pretend it didn’t happen,” Alyssa muttered, and pulled Winnie through the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They entered into a ruined classroom, which was even darker than the last part of the building. Their only way out was from an open window, where the storm was raging, waiting for them with malevolent, wet glee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m gonna really hate going out in that…” Alyssa mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I don’t think we have a choice,” Winnie said. “Come on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Climbing through the window, the sisters stood on a rickety platform with a ladder leading down to the gym facility. Above them, the storm howled on, pelting them with rain that felt like biting bullet ants against their skin. And, below them--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--below them, there was Kaylee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee!” Alyssa and Winnie shouted as the older girl ran into the gym building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What is she--?!” Alyssa sputtered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Damnit, Kaylee! Come back!” Winnie cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They, very clumsily, made their way down the slippery ladder. Winnie ended up slipping in her haste to get to Kaylee and fell into the muddy gravel beneath her, completely ruining the back of her green jacket. She groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You okay?” Alyssa asked while helping her up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Peachy,” Winnie grunted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She may be having, like, a Kevin episode,” Alyssa said. “A…Kevisode. Possessed, or-- whatever we’re calling it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “But Kevin could barely move,” Winnie pointed out. “Kaylee-- it looked like she was running from something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both shivered, and not because of the freezing rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We should probably get out of this,” Alyssa said. “We don’t need to get even more unwell. I’m already exhausted as is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Same,” Winnie sighed tiredly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sisters stepped into the gym building that Kaylee had disappeared into. The only thing inside were some old desks, a singular globe, and a large, triangle-shaped window on the wall above two chalkboards, one of which had white handprints splattered on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No Kaylee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, they both groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This door is locked,” Alyssa said after she tried the knob on a door opposite of the entrance ones. She sighed as she took off her soggy beanie and wrung it out. Winnie did the same with her damp hair. As they were doing so, the speakers crackled to life above them and Kaylee’s voice came out.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“Hello? Is this thing-- Is this-- God, is this-- is this going out? Wait, I can, ugh, I can hear myself, that’s not-- </span>
  </em>
  <span>God</span>
  <em>
    <span>, just-- is anybody?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ugh, man,” Alyssa said. “Maybe she didn’t see us? I don’t know, but-- whatever. She still has a radio, so we still gotta get to her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie looked around the room before realizing the dim glow illuminating the space was coming from a hanging light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hanging light with a familiar red bulb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie looked at Alyssa. Alyssa nodded. Winnie took out the radio and was about to tune in when some kind of crashing sound came from somewhere deeper in the building, making her jump and nearly drop the radio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What was that?” Alyssa asked nervously, eyeing the locked door as if she were expecting something to come crashing through it and attack them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I-- I don’t know,” Winnie answered. “I’m-- I’m just gonna…do the thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah… You do that, please.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie tuned in.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>95.5</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Familiar static returned, filling the air with its horrendous buzzing. The bulb shattered, but the red glow still remained from an unknown source. The light now swung slowly back and forth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Winnie…” Alyssa said warily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “ℍ𝕚𝕘𝕙 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕒𝕧𝕪 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕’𝕤 𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣!” The gameshow host-like voice from before began to say energetically. “𝕀𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕤 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕙 𝕒 𝕞𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕!” Buzzing overcame it for a moment. “ℍ𝕖𝕪 𝕜𝕚𝕕𝕤! 𝕎𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪 𝕒 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hangman pole was drawn on the chalkboard by an unseen hand. It sounded like nails were raking down the surface, not a normal stick of chalk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What is it doing…?” Winnie muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hangman?” Alyssa whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝔹𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕡 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕟, 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕤!” Said the radio. “𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝔹𝕠𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕒 𝕝𝕠𝕥 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕓𝕖 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕦𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖. ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕓𝕖 𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This isn’t how you play Hangman…” Winnie said uneasily, edging closer to Alyssa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕒 𝕤𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥. 𝕊𝕠 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the second chalkboard, three names were written. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fort Milner, School For Armed Services,and US Army Radio Communications School.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The radio began to count down from ten.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “School?” Alyssa said. “This is a school?” She looked at Winnie, who was shocked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Umm- uhh-- F-Fort Milner?” Winnie tried weakly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A buzzer noise emitted from the radio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A head was drawn on the chalkboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blurriness and static haze distorted Winnie’s vision for a moment. She grunted and heard Alyssa utter a pained noise at her side. Her sister clutched tightly at her skull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕀𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕘𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘. 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕒 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦?” The radio’s voice lowered. “𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕒 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕖𝕣?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why the hell would we want to be a good soldier?” Alyssa said to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Uhh-- yeah!” Winnie said over her. “Sure! If that’s what you’d like!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝔼𝕩𝕔𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥!” The radio replied gleefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ðð ¥ðµ †hïñk. Ú§. Çrµêl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the cave voices.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ðð ¥ðµ †hïñk. Ú§. Çållðµ§.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I don’t care!” Winnie snapped. “Just don’t hurt--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A buzz of static through her mind silenced her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wê Ððñ’† hµr† þlå¥må†ê§.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The whole room twisted together into one big, messy blob. Winnie stumbled, suddenly feeling like she was upside down and about to fall to her death. It was like when you would try to fall asleep and then, out of nowhere, you would flinch so hard and wake up that your heart skipped a beat because your body thought it was plummeting off of a cliff or something, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> body wouldn’t wake up no matter what she did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pawed for something, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> to use as grounding and found Alyssa. She gripped tightly to her sister’s hunched shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ughh…” Alyssa groaned. She was hugging her stomach with one arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I think I’m gonna be sick…” Winnie moaned miserably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕟.” The radio piped back up helpfully. “ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕨𝕠!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three more words are drawn on the chalkboard- sɹǝɥdıƆ ‘sǝpoƆ 'sǝıʞooƆ- but they were upside down. Or maybe Winnie was upside down- she didn’t know. She didn’t know anything anymore. Her brain was turning to a sloppy stew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕥 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕥 𝕄𝕚𝕝𝕟𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕕𝕖𝕤?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A lightbulb went off in Winnie’s mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That </span>
  </em>
  <span>she knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Cookies,” She said with as much confidence as she could muster, mentally thanking Kevin for blabbering on the phone to her back in the Comm Tower. “They called codes…cookies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The radio dinged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖! ℕ𝕠𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘!” It praised. “ℂ𝕠𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟 𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕛𝕠𝕓! 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕𝕟’𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕦𝕟𝕢𝕦𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕚𝕖𝕕.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why-- why would I? What does this have to do--?” She shook her head. “It’s-- it’s like any job, right? To be qualified…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕛𝕠𝕓. ℝ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her vision bugged out again and twin hammers beat down against both temples. She felt Alyssa slip from her grasp and appear in front of her. But--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t Alyssa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It looked like Alyssa and it sounded like Alyssa and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt </span>
  </em>
  <span>like Alyssa, but it wasn’t Alyssa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa didn’t have glowing red eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “We are an island race…” </b>
  <span>Not-Alyssa droned. Her voice was wrong. It was hers, sort of, but had a distorted tone to it, like dozens of other voices were whispering the words along with her, working her jaw and tongue to make her speak. It was too dark. Too edged with razor sharp barbs. Too…staticy. </span>
  <b>“And through all our times the sea has ruled our breaks. Be wary, young ones.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No!” Winnie cried. “Leave Alyssa out of this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They--the </span>
  <em>
    <span>things</span>
  </em>
  <span>--</span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> listen. In fact, they seemed to tease her by making Alyssa’s body shudder in a way that looked absolutely painful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕧𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕞!” Chimed in the radio. Its chipper voice didn’t go right with this horrifying situation that would be sure to haunt both girls’s dreams for years to come. If Alyssa even remembered her body being piloted by some unseen force, that is. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If they even got off of this island.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “ℙ𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕝𝕤 𝕦𝕡!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, numbers were scrawled on the board with chalk that wasn’t there- 12, 53, and 85. Winnie could barely see them. Not because of her messy vision, but because of the haze of tears forming in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa’s shoulders were heaving up and down like she was breathing heavily, but Winnie couldn’t even hear the inhale and exhale of oxygen. She may not even be breathing at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕕𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕌𝕊𝕊 𝕂𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕒?” Asked the radio.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“For there will be other ships, and other souls to sail them…” </b>
  <span>Not-Alyssa spoke on. </span>
  <b>“Above all victories, beyond all loss… In spite of changing values and a changing world.” </b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Nnng… Fifty-three?” Winnie squeaked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The radio made a buzzer sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa groaned softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕐𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕘, 𝔹𝕠𝕓!” The radio said. “ℕ𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕥𝕪-𝕤𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕕𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕌𝕊𝕊 𝕂𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕒. 𝔼𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕪-𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕤. 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕤.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A body for the hangman scratched loudly down the chalkboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕀𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕕𝕕𝕤 𝕦𝕡 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝔹𝕠𝕒𝕣𝕕! 𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕥. 𝔸𝕞ðñ𝕘 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The radio cut to white noise. Alyssa hunched over in a position that looked very uncomfortable, even for someone that may have been flexible. She was mumbling incoherently to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like Kevin had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa?” Winnie whispered. “Alyssa, come on, talk to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa did not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie knew what she had to do, and she was really starting to hate it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She began to tune in with that blasted radio.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>106.2</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa fell to her knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>92.1</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa was dragged into the air and began to spasm.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>104</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The triangle was complete.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, instead of green like the last one had been, the interior was a dark, bubbling blue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like the bottom of the ocean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa was dropped to the floor, limp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕊𝕦𝕓𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕂𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕒 𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕚𝕟 ℙ𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕗𝕚𝕔 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕞𝕪.” Crackled the radio. The host’s voice sounded…demonic.  “𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕡𝕖, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕤 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕔𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖-- 𝕂𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕒 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪-- 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥-- 𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕖𝕒-- 𝕟𝕖𝕒𝕣--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Is this…” Winnie found her voice, and it was a mere squeak of noise. “Are you the dead officers? Who-- who sank on the Kanaloa?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wê. Ärê. †hê §µñkêñ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chills rippled up Winnie’s spine like bubbles. She stepped back, but she knew there was nowhere to run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could feel that towering black figure looming right behind her, and its presence made her organs feel like static.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why are you here?” Winnie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Whå†. Ä. Qµê§†ïðñ.” Said The Sunken. “ñêvêr. Lê£†.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What…what do you want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖… 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖… 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bubbles rose up from the triangle window on the wall. The entire building seemed to rock back and forth…as if they were out in the ocean. The churning of water filled Winnie’s ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “†ïmê. Jµ§† †ïmê.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>White handprints splattered against the chalkboards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights flickered and came back to life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The once-locked door swung open wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the floor, Alyssa groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What… I…” Alyssa struggled to push herself up, but managed to get to her feet. “That was…not fun…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Just take it slow and easy,” Winnie said, hurrying over to her. She steadied her sister gently. “You had an…experience.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yes, yes… Great. God…” Alyssa sighed. She rubbed her head, meaning the migraines were a mutual thing going on between sisters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Are you alright?” Winnie asked. “I mean-- after-- how are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>feeling</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Alyssa answered. “Let’s start with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 ℕ𝕖𝕨𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜-- 𝕥𝕙åñ𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗ð𝕣--” The radio cut out and died.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This is just unbelievable,” Alyssa muttered. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“--anyone! Can anyone hear--”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That’s gotta be Kaylee,” Alyssa said, looking up at the speakers. “Let’s get her and get out of here already.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Are you sure?” Winnie asked worriedly. “You don’t want to sit down for a moment?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No, no, I’m sure,” Alyssa assured. “Come on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both walked through the door and up the rest of the way to the communication booth, which was as ruined and weathered as the rest of the Fort. Winnie felt the strongest urge to just let herself fall while climbing the ladder that went up the side of the building, but managed to fight it off. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Kaylee’s asleep right now. Be still as to not wake her.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa and Winnie both paused for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They said nothing about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Cross your fingers,” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both stepped inside the radio room, and--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh my god! You guys came!” Kaylee jumped up from where she was standing over the control panel. For just the briefest, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Winnei swore she thought her face was completely blank, eyes null and void, but then her expression shifted into one of bright relief and surprise. “Wait-- how did you even know I was here in the first place? Are you just…aimlessly wandering around or, like…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kevin told us,” Winnie cut her off. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee tilted her head a little. “Yeah, I’m alright. Why? Do I not look alright? I mean, sure, my hair might be a little weird, but…you know, not a lot I can do about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You just sounded…really distressed. That’s all.” Winnie said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, I mean--” Kaylee </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>look distressed. It was completely unlike her to be this way. To see her without her pompous, hawk-like features… It was strange, to say the least. Inappropriate. Even a little unnerving. “I dunno. I’m fine now, so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alright,” Alyssa cut in. “Where’s this famous radio?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “There,” Kaylee nodded at the control panel. “I can’t get it to do anything I want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie walked over to the machinery and began to tinker with the buttons and switches. She gave up after a moment of getting nothing from it, swallowing thickly, but didn’t turn to look at the other two. She didn’t want to see their fearful expressions, knowing she let them down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, no, it… It’s like a low frequency thing? It’s just for the Fort. I don’t think--” She sighed, “I don’t think it can beam out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No. No no no no no!” Kaylee ruffled up. “Isn’t there a way to--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “†hê ð££ï¢êr§ whð kñðw ¥ðµr þrðßlêm§ £µll åñÐ wêll wïll gïvê ¥ðµ å £rïêñÐl¥ åñÐ §¥mþå†hê†ï¢ hêårïñg…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Who is that?” Kaylee asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh god no--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-- . .-.-.- / .. / .- -- / -- . .-.-.- / .- -. -.. / - --- --. . - .... . .-. / .-- . / .- .-. . / --- -. . .-.-.-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Cross your fingers,” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Aaagh!!” Winnie cried, making Alyssa jump. “Not now! We’re looping again!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh crap,” Alyssa’s eyes widened. “Well…keep me posted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Will do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both stepped inside the radio room, and--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Kaylee was hanging from the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a noose around her neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee!!” Alyssa shrieked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie couldn’t even speak. Tears were filling her eyes and running down her cheeks in an instant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Is there anything-- can we, like, cut her down or something?!” Alyssa blubbered on in her stead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, Winnie could not speak. But what was there to say?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee was dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee was dead--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t be. She and Winnie still had to make amends! They still had to go through their emotional bonding moments that would make them friends for life! There were still things Winnie wanted to say to her--albeit some were a bit snarky--and things she wished she hadn’t said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it didn’t matter now because Kaylee was d--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>. .- -.. .-.-.-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Cross your fingers,” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Air stung in Winnie’s lungs as she inhaled sharply. Her eyes were burning, but there were no tears. Not anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Holy crap…” She mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What?” Alyssa asked, looking at her. “What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Brace yourself,” Winnie whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both step inside the radio room, and--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was no Kaylee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tape player was the only thing in her place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What the--? I could have sworn I heard her in here,” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Better gone than dead…” Winnie muttered. She turned to the tape player. “Great. One of these things again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa gestured for it. Winnie gave her a look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What? It seems to be your job! Go on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing heavily, Winnie began to crank the handle around and around, like before (like many many many many many many times before).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reality and awareness distorted like all the other times as well. Winnie winced at the familiar rapping against her skull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned quickly at Alyssa’s awed mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee was in there with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was standing on the sill of the open window, peering out at the storm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee!” Winnie said, unable to hide the relief in her voice. “Oh, thank god! We saw you-- I saw you--”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Winnie. Don’t worry.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an edge to her voice…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She’s like-- she’s like how Kevin was!” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What is she doing?” Winnie whispered fearfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee chuckled. She didn’t turn to face them.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “There will be other ships…and other souls to sail them.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, she teetered forward and--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>NO!!!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--and fell out back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie ran to the window, nearly flipping out of it herself before she fell to her knees, leaning out of the sill, one hand outstretched as if she thought it would do something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The resounding crack and snap of shattering bones would stick with her for the rest of her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh my g-- why would she do that?!” Alyssa cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa rushed to the window and peered down into the blackness below, mouth hanging open. It was too dark to see anything, and Winnie could hear no signs of life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie couldn’t really hear anything at all, to be honest. Nothing but static and the roaring of her own blood in her ears. Everything else was shifting and sliding away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing else was real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We were-- we’re not-- it’s not like--” Alyssa babbled. Her hands were at her head, fingers tangled in her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She killed herself,” Winnie whispered hoarsely. Her voice started out soft and weak, then bubbled up in her throat like a geyser, coming out shrill and full of panic. “Oh my god, she just killed herself! They made her--” The image of Kaylee going down replayed in her mind. “I just-- this is-- Alyssa, this is so horrible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sister looked equally as sickened and stunned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I don’t… I don’t even know what…” Winnie murmured, standing up shakily and backing away. “I--I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe this!</span>
  </em>
  <span> I--I can’t believe she would do that, over… I mean, things are--are bad right now, but you-- you can’t just-- I didn’t know if things were-- was she-- oh my god. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had her hand over her mouth, eyes wider than saucers. She felt more disbelieving than grief-stricken, but she supposed that was what adrenaline and shock did to you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(she would know.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both hurried for the staircase.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I just-- I can’t…I can’t believe this,” Alyssa said in a rush. “I-I know I haven’t known her for very long, but this--” She shook her head as if she were trying to dislodge the memory of Kaylee falling from her brain. “What are we going to tell the others?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “The </span>
  <em>
    <span>others</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Winnie yelped. “I just wanna-- we have to round them up before anything else-- before anything like this, like… I don’t even-- I don’t even know what happened here, Alyssa, if it’s-- if they’re thinking of doing the same thing…?” And then, even worse: “How-- how am I going to tell her </span>
  <em>
    <span>mom</span>
  </em>
  <span>?! I mean, she knows me, she-- and, </span>
  <em>
    <span>god</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the fact that I was here-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>God</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Any kind of reassurance to that was left unspoken when they got to the outside of the gym. The dull light from the lampposts shone onto the large dark red splotch that the rain was washing away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She’s…alive?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie glanced at her sister, who was biting her nails.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She’s alive!” Winnie parroted Alyssa in relief. “Maybe she just twisted her-- twisted--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Winnie--” Alyssa cut off her babble of false hope. “Even if she had fallen feet-first she still would have broken every bone in her body!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay, maybe!” Winnie said, “But still!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Right, yeah… Good news?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie snapped her head to her sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yes, Alyssa, it is good news that Kaylee isn’t dead! Christ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That isn’t why I hesitated!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie glanced at the blood one last time, then moved on with Alyssa, headed towards the Comm Tower to meet up with Kevin and Emma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The image of Kaylee did not leave her mind.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. all the outs in free</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The mud sloshed loudly as Winnie and Alyssa trudged away from Fort Milner. Winnie tried not to look at the stew of muck beneath her feet, for she feared that she would see hints of red glistening in the slop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>starting to hate the color of her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them spoke as they walked across the field. Alyssa was lost in thought, probably trying to come up with entire spider webs of theories inside of her head, while Winnie was just in a state of shock. Her face was pale, aside from her eyes, which were still puffy and rimmed with red from crying. She had tried to wipe away the tears, but scrubbing her face with her sleeve only inflamed the skin further. She gave up after a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dark mist rolled in the distance, somewhere near Main Street. Winnie watched the black fog. Sometimes she thought she could hear other footsteps stamping in the mud somewhere off in the distance. Other times it was right behind her. She couldn’t be too sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She and Alyssa got to the fence that wrapped around the Comm Tower. When they looked up at the metal chain link, they didn’t feel safe, rather trapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was there to keep them in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Winnie wondered what would happen if it hadn’t been there. She wondered if she and Alyssa could have started their journey sooner without having to turn off the electric fence or if the footsteps behind them would have followed them through the door. She wondered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey! Hey!” Kevin was running down from the ladder. “I saw you coming up from the tower!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “How are you doing?” Winnie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Umm-- better,” Kevin said. “No luck with the radio. It’s been what my therapist would call a ‘negative reinforcer.’ I’m just glad I took that second brownie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What?” Alyssa snapped.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “When did you take a second one?” Winnie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Just before you came. Don’t worry about it!” Kevin said as he climbed back up the ladder. If he saw the way Alyssa was fuming, he ignored it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “If that’s what you need-- fine.” Winnie said. She really didn’t want anyone fighting at the moment. “How’s Emma doing? We heard what I imagine was her first radiocast </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I think she’s okay,” Kevin said. “Frazzled, but--okay. She’s here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them climbed up to the top of the tower where Emma was waiting, peering down over the guardrail at them. She looked slightly better from when Winnie and Alyssa last saw her, but definitely still wry and jittery. Her hair was an unruly mess, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey, Emma,” Winnie waved halfheartedly. “Night’s still goin’, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Emma replied dryly. “I couldn’t get anything to work beside the speaker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “More than we could do,” Alyssa said, offering her a small smile. Emma returned it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all went into the tower cabin to get out of the cold. The wind was a lot crueler all the way up there, like it was adamant on knocking one of the teenagers off with its powerful gales. Winnie shoved her next-to-numb hands into her cardigan’s pockets, which didn’t help much since the jacket was still wet from the rain at Fort Milner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Sorry I was, like, weird earlier,” Emma said. “But hey! Have you figured out what’s going on yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We--and this is gonna sound crazy--tuned into something in that cave,” Winnie told her. “And it, uhh, kinda screwed us all over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “And there’s ghosts,” Alyssa added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh!” Kevin suddenly said. “I got it! This is great! This is perfect! I know exactly what to do!” He wheeled around to them, grinning triumphantly. “It’s Angie Dickinson!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Angie Dickinson?” Emma echoed curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah! She has a boat!” Kevin went on. “Something good finally came loose from all this hysteria, eh? Anyway, Nick’s step-sister, Jess, used to work at the Park’s office. She had to deliver mail to that lady almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>every day</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> there’s a key down there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alright, so we’re gonna--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No!” Alyssa barked. Emma snapped her mouth shut with a small lurch of her shoulders. “No no no! We are not going to go with the first plan from the group’s resident </span>
  <em>
    <span>burnout</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” She turned to glare at Kevin when she said that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin narrowed his eyes and ruffled himself up. With his frizzing brown hair and thin, gangly build, he looked about as intimidating as a raccoon trying to defend a piece of trash it just stole from the garbage can. His voice, however, was biting, like the chilled gales just outside the cabin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I am not a burnout!” He snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What other plan do we have, Alyssa?” Winnie said, trying to step in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, I don’t know! Fix the radio, find Kaylee, set fire to the mug shop!” Alyssa began to rattle off. “And those are just at the top of my head!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Those won’t do us any good,” Kevin rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa clenched her jaw and began stalking up to Kevin. Kevin may have been taller than her, but she riled herself up like a smoking volcano about to blow or a mother owl who just had one of her chicks threatened- her talons were open and primed for blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin’s blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kevin,” She laughed harshly. Her voice was as cold and hard as a glacier. “Don’t forget that this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>entirely</span>
  </em>
  <span> your fault to begin with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She seemed to forget about Winnie taking all the blame at the cable car. Or, perhaps, she just didn’t want to throw her half-sister under the bus like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “And now,” Alyssa went on, overpowering Kevin with her barbed tone. The gritting of her teeth quickly replaced the image of an owl with a timber wolf. “Now you want us to trust you when things are really bad? YOU made Winnie bring the radio- over twenty messages in all caps if I remember being told correctly. YOU brought us here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Come on, guys, calm down!” Winnie attempted to step in again. “This is nobody’s fault! And if it is going to be someone’s fault, let it be mine. I already owned up to it! So…there! Blame is on me! Blood is on my hands!” Saying that last part made a sick feeling of fear coil deep in her stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, this isn’t very, uh,” Emma tried to help cool things down, too. “Productive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But their efforts were in vain. Kevin was pissed off, now. And Winnie knew better than anyone that his anger was a deep, dark, long-running thing. Emma stepped back and pulled Winnie with her, as if she thought the boy may actually explode.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It should be obvious that you’re the only new weirdo here,” Kevin said, going after Alyssa with words laced in sickly green venom. “You are throwing all of this out of whack! We,” He gestured for himself, Winnie, and Emma, “all grew up together!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Guys, please calm down!” Winnie spoke up again. Her presence was finally reminded to the fuming pair, but not in the way she had wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Winnie, I am not putting my life in this freak’s hands!” Alyssa spat. She wasn’t going after Winnie, in fact her eyes softened when she began talking to her, but her voice remained spiky and wrapped in shards of glass. “This entire night has been nothing but a joke to him! I mean, did you hear the first thing he said to us back up at that Way Station?” She did a terrible impressions of Kevin’s voice, “‘I thought you were a werewolf’- like, what the fuck is up with that?! How are you even defending this asshole?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa!” Emma yelped. Her eyes were wide in alarm and she glanced nervously over at Kevin. She took another step back, pulling Winnie with her again. It was as if she saw smoke wreathing out of Kevin’s nostrils or something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I know you said Kevin was ‘harmless’ or whatever, but the bitch ate two fucking weed brownies! In a crisis situation!” Alyssa was working herself up to a proper temper. Her face was flaming red with rage, which was impressive given her darker skin color. “I’m done giving him passes. And you should, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I don’t need a pass from you,” Kevin growled. “Winnie is my best friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That comment cut Winnie deep in the heart. She had been mentally siding with Alyssa, the girl did have a point, plus she was her new sister and she feared not going along with her would completely shatter their relationship, but Kevin was right. They were best friends. They had been together since Winnie was little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God, she wished she didn’t have to be there right now. The ghosts were one thing, but this? She did not sign up for her relationships breaking into pieces right before her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh yeah? Well, Winnie is MY best friend!” Alyssa barked back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Guys, please!” Winnie shouted. “Stop it! Stop fighting! You’re arguing fifteen things at once, now. Do the plan, trust Alyssa, leave Kevin-- like, pick a target. Or, better yet, just don’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yes. Please.” Emma agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Listen, I don’t care what Cavewoman Alyssa says--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What is that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “--there is a boat at Angie Dickinson’s house. And the key is back on Main Street.” Kevin went on, ignoring Alyssa’s flabbergasted expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “And when your plan fails spectacularly, two of us are going to have to stay here with the semi-functioning walkie talkie,” Alyssa said, crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, Winnie has the radio,” Kevin also crossed his arms. If he was trying to make himself seem more mature or maybe was just trying to mimic and mock Alyssa, neither Winnie nor Emma knew. “Are you okay to go to town?” He peered around Alyssa’s hulking figure to look at Winnie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Winnie said. Sure, her throat sort of stung from yelling and the start of a panic attack was boiling up in her chest like a pus-filled sore, and there was also the whole being-wet-in-the-freezing-cold-night and persistent, never-ending headache thing, but she chose to keep that to herself. “I’m fine. Ready whenever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She shouldn’t go alone,” Emma jumped back in. “Three of us don’t need to stay up here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Right. I’ll go!” Kevin volunteered quickly. “It was my brilliant idea in the first place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Are you serious? Your </span>
  <em>
    <span>food</span>
  </em>
  <span> is going to kick in at any second and then you really will be a completely unreliable basketcase.” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I am not a basketcase!” Kevin yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Aaaagh! Stop it!” Winnie growled. Her own anger was starting to bubble inside of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After her plea, Alyssa rounded on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Keeping in mind who has been with you this entire night--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Keeping in mind who you’re tired of!” Kevin cut in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Keeping in mind who’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>your sister</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Alyssa said louder. “Who do you want going with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was all so overwhelming. Winnie wished they could all just go as a group, surely that was safer, anyway, but it was also just wishful thinking. If Alyssa and Kevin tried to get down from the tower together, Winnie was sure somebody was gonna get pushed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt that coil in her stomach tighten and tighten and tighten. It became a painful sensation in her gut that she had no other choice but to--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Emma, wanna come with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma perked up. “Oh! Yeah! Let’s do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What?!” Kevin and Alyssa cried. It was clear they hadn’t been planning for Winnie to not pick them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why are you making me shack up with this guy?” Alyssa asked in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This isn’t-- it’s my friggin’ plan!” Kevin yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We’re still doing it,” Winnie said gently, hoping to cool her friend down. “Who cares about who’s on the Home and Away team?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “But I wanna be on the Winnie Team!” Kevin said. His eyes looked genuinely hurt. Winnie’s heart pinched painfully in her chest. “I wanna feel like-- like-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pinch got tighter until it felt like two slim claws were trying to pull her aorta right out of her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Winnie, I thought we were--” Alyssa sputtered on, but just ended up shaking her head. “I don’t know what I thought. Forget it. Doesn’t matter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That </span>
  </em>
  <span>hurt even worse. So much so that Winnie felt tears start to burn in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You’re right, it doesn’t matter,” Kevin gave a final jab, and that was the last straw for Winnie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh my god!!” Winnie finally exploded, unable to keep the anger in any longer. “You wanna know why I didn’t choose either of you? </span>
  <em>
    <span>THIS is why! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I can’t-- I can’t fucking deal with this anymore! I can’t deal with the yelling and the fighting and the arguing! It’s making me want to pull my </span>
  <em>
    <span>goddamn hair out!</span>
  </em>
  <span> You’re both making me see </span>
  <em>
    <span>red!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(red.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(how…funny.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin and Alyssa both shrunk back at her outburst. Kevin seemed to be the most startled, seeing as he knew better than anyone that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>yelled.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie took a few deep breaths. It felt…wrong…to lose her temper like that. Really wrong. It wasn’t like her at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(it tasted like static on her tongue.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was this island doing to her? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Please,” Winnie’s voice was softer now. “Please, just-- just stay here and stay safe. I want what’s best for you both, and you’ve both already been targeted by whatever is after us, so it’s better if you just stay here, away from them.” She looked at the two of them, into their longing, normal-colored eyes. “No more fighting. Please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa and Kevin exchanged looks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alright,” Alyssa said. “Sorry, Winnie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, sorry, Winnie,” Kevin echoed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie took another breath. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank </span>
  </em>
  <span>you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Go have fun, you two,” Kevin said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s not supposed to be fun,” Alyssa rolled her eyes. “That’s the whole point.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Don’t start!” Winnie warned, her voice pitching, and Alyssa and Kevin both hung their heads like guilty dogs, muttering out another set of apologies. “We’ll be back soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trek down from the tower was silent. In fact, neither Winnie nor Emma spoke until they were past the gate and back into the field.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You know…” Emma started. “I do remember you from Mr. Glickman’s class.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a completely absurd topic to bring up at the moment, and Winnie deeply appreciated it. Anything was better than having to deal with her own thoughts, especially after what happened on the tower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You sit in the back. Behind Carrie.” Emma went on. “I just forgot. Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Don’t worry about it,” Winnie assured her, slightly distracted by the darkness lurking on the path to Main Street. She swore she kept seeing something out in the black fog, but she couldn’t really discern it from the things she usually saw. “I don’t talk that much, so… I don’t know why you would remember me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Red hair?” Emma said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie laughed slightly, which rang hollow in her chest. “Good point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I swear, gingers are, like, an endangered species here,” Emma said. “It’s like seeing a dalmatian outside of movies- they don’t come around very often. Aside from you, of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Oh wow,” Winnie said. “I never realized that before. The dalmatian thing, I mean. But the lack of other redheads, too.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>  “Right?” Emma said. “Like, I’ve seen a dalmatian maybe ONCE before, but even that felt like a hallucination or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laughed this time. It tasted like static and blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, and…” Emma leaned into Winnie’s side while they were walking. “Don’t tell anyone, but my birthday’s in three days.” She smiled at her. “You’re invited.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the circumstances, despite the fear that they may not even get off the island to celebrate, Winnie felt a fluttering of joy inside of her chest. She didn’t get invited to things very often, and if she did, most people just wanted to try and mooch her of her family’s money.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’d love to come!” Winnie said. “And happy early birthday! Kind of a crummy way to start it, huh? Being here and all…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma laughed a little. “Definitely.” She said. “I was thinking about-- well, I’m worried about Kaylee, and-- well, I was thinking about my </span>
  <em>
    <span>last </span>
  </em>
  <span>birthday when…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You sound like me with all that stammering,” Winnie teased lightly. “Say what you wanna say. It was last year, your birthday… Go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well--” Emma began. “This was when Natalie was in her car accident, so of course we canceled the whole party and went to visit her. And I wasn’t gonna point about that- it’s common decency, you know? But afterwards, after this </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally </span>
  </em>
  <span>emotionally draining night, Kaylee came over and surprised me with this </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge </span>
  </em>
  <span>cake!” She smiled at the memory she was reciting. “We stayed up all night watching my favorite movies. And she didn’t have to do all that, you know? But she did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wait--” Winnie blinked. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Kaylee </span>
  </em>
  <span>did that? Kaylee. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Our Kaylee</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma looked at her. “She’s a good person, Winnie. She is. And I hope she’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We’ll find her, Emma. I promise.” Winnie said. “I’m not leaving without her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma smiled at her at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon entering Main Street, another conversation was brought up, easing the tension little by little as they traversed the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You know, my cousin came here before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie looked at Emma curiously. “Really? Greg, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Emma nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Did he notice anything, like, weird?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I don’t think so?” Emma said. “I mean, he and his friends didn’t do anything with the, like, caves. They just kinda messed around in the forest and then left in the morning.” She put her hands into her pockets. “When I told him I was coming here he said that I would, uh, be a littler different when I came home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That </span>
  </em>
  <span>REALLY got Winnie’s attention, and she looked at Emma with bright curiosity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Do you think he knew?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma stopped for a moment to ponder it. “I don’t know.” She said. “But when Greg got back, he said… God, what was it? He said there were times when you really </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>older. Like… Your first real fight, your first real apartment…first person you really care about dies…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie glanced nervously at the ocean roiling nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “And you didn’t know how young you were until those moments happen, you know?” Emma said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something about that made a weird, squiggly feeling wriggle around in the pit of Winnie’s stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Emma, what-- what’d he do here? What </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma shrugged. “He broke up with his boyfriend, I think? Maybe? I dunno. Nothing like this, I’m sure. Oh, hey-- Wait--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie noticed it, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The human shadow cast across the pavement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh my god, is that--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Someone was sitting on one of the lampposts, their legs swinging back and forth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Kaylee!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie and Emma rushed up to the lamp, their eyes wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She’s alive!” Winnie said. “Man, I’ve never been so happy to see you in my l--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Static.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie let out a short cry of pain as static filled her mind and her vision seemed to glitch out like an old TV. When she looked up, Kaylee’s eyes were burning red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Kaylee!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Emma yawped. “What-- Winnie, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what is wrong with her?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right. Emma had no idea about the whole ‘possession’ thing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, she was in for a trip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, </span>
  </em>
  <span>just-- what do you guys </span>
  <em>
    <span>want?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Winnie said to Kaylee, and Emma looked at her like she was insane. “This isn’t-- this has just </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>lost its charm, I have to say!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Winnie, can you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do something</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Emma asked. She looked back up at her friend worriedly. “Please try and get her down, at least, please. Somehow. She looks </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie grit her teeth. She could feel the cold metal of the radio weigh heavily in her pocket. She had no choice but to slip it out and tune in.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>102.3</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The first triangle formed.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>95.1</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The second--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “NO!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was falling, everything was upside down and she couldn’t see at all, and then she was upright again and tottering in her spot like a newborn lamb. She winced, feeling nauseous.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You think you can control me?”</b>
  <span> Kaylee asked, tilting her head slowly. Her voice was like it had been back at Fort Milner, distorted and dark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie and Emma exchanged nervous looks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What? No! We’re not trying--”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “No, you’re not trying!” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee cut her off, sounding infuriated. </span>
  <b>“You’re not trying at all!”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yes I am!” Winnie griped back at her. “This will </span>
  <em>
    <span>help you!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Help me?”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee leered, narrowing her burgeoning eyes. </span>
  <b>“Help me, how will that help me?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “¥ðµ håvêñ’† ¢håñgêÐ,” Said The Sunken. Their voices appeared out of nowhere, originating from an unknown source. “ñð† å ßï†. ßµ† ¥ðµ’rê å £ïñê gïrl.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦,” Chimed in the radio. “𝕐𝕖𝕤, 𝕀 𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It just had to go and pipe up, didn’t it? What with Kaylee--or Not-Kaylee, whatever the fuck she may be now--and those ghosts talking and all, the radio now chipping in only added to the intensity and the terrible pressure pressing down on Winnie’s skull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It-- it’s helped the others! Kevin and Alyssa, they’ve gone through the same--”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“Gone through what?” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee scoffed. </span>
  <b>“They’re children, they’re gone through </b>
  <b>
    <em>nothing.</em>
  </b>
  <b>”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What-- what more can we do?” Winnie said desperately. “We’re barely holding onto our--”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “‘What more can you do?’”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee echoed mockingly.</span>
  <b> “You can do your job, that’s for starters. You can be what you signed up for.”</b>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Wait, wait-- are you-- are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>possessed right now?” Winnie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“Possessed,” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee repeated slowly. </span>
  <b>“I am possessed. I am consumed with an unending fury.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕊𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤.” Mused the radio. “𝕐𝕖𝕥, 𝕀 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕀 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee, we’re your friends!” Winnie said, gesturing to herself and Emma, who seemed to be stunned into silence over the whole event. “This whole thing has been about saving--”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“Friends?” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee jeered. </span>
  <b>“You have a distasteful definition.” </b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕠𝕗𝕗,” Crackled the radio. “𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕒 𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕟.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “No more heart than a…”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee’s voice trailed off and died. Her body fell like a ragdoll from the lamppost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Is she--?” Winnie swallowed thickly. “Is she, um, alive? Or…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I-I don’t--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not-Kaylee--or Kaylee, now, maybe--stirred, then sat up. She blinked her normal brown eyes at the duo standing above her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Are you okay?” Emma asked. “Can you remember anything that just happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m fine. I can-- I’m fine.” Kaylee stood up, brushing away the hands reaching down to her for help. “And I… I remember Fort Milner…and Winnie and Alyssa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That’s it?” Emma said. “That was a while ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee blinked, then looked around. “How did I get here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>remember how you got here?” Emma sounded very concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “The usual answer to any question tonight has been ‘I have no idea’, and, sorry to say, but this is no different,” Winnie said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “So you’re really just blank?” Emma asked Kaylee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No… I remember some things. I remember you…with that </span>
  <em>
    <span>radio</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” Kaylee turned on Winnie. “And I remember this being all your fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>- .... . .-. . / .. ... / -. --- - .... .. -. --.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bonfire in front of the Main Street tunnel blazed slightly when Kevin threw a few sticks into the flames. They got eaten away in seconds before Winnie’s eyes, which were edged with a black blur. She blinked, smoke stinging them slightly, and looked up at the others.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wait, it’s Kaylee’s turn already?” Kevin asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yes, it’s my turn,” Kaylee answered. “I’ve been waiting this whole time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hold on--” Winnie looked around. The ocean licking against the rocky edge of the street was but a black void behind her. She snapped her head forward again, preferring to look into the foggy abyss that was the closed-down tunnel behind Kaylee. “What’s going on again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s Kaylee’s turn,” Emma said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, it’s Kaylee’s turn,” Alyssa confirmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “And you of all people should know what I’m going to ask because I’m not going to waste it,” Kaylee turned to Winnie. “Winnie. What did you do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s mouth hung open like a fish out of water. Kaylee’s judgmental stare did not pity her stunned expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Tell me why my best friend, and your idiot best friend, and your new half-sister are all screwed.” Kaylee went on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We-- we tuned into something in the cave,” Winnie said. “And I’m pretty sure we kinda sorta jumpstarted this whole…thing.” She hunched her shoulders in. Her cardigan was somewhat dry now, and it itched the back of her neck like cockroaches crawling up her skin. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa, now you see who you’re stuck to until graduation,” Kaylee said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This really isn’t her fault,” Alyssa stepped in quickly, already knowing things were going to get riled up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa, I’m sorry, but you don’t know who you speak of, dear,” Kaylee said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee, seriously, I can vouch for this,” Kevin said. “This isn’t her fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>has</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be her fault, </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course</span>
  </em>
  <span> it’s her fault!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie curled her hands into shaking fists. The numbness in her fingers dissipated for a moment. Bubbling anger was burning hot in her belly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I said sorry!” Winnie said. “What else do you want from me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “There’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>no other way </span>
  </em>
  <span>this story goes,” Kaylee went on over her, and every word she spoke fuelled Winnie’s rage. “She </span>
  <em>
    <span>creates chaos. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>storm chaser!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why?</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Winnie snapped. “Why does it </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be my fault?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span> does it have to be your fault? Are you serious?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie clenched her jaw, glaring daggers at Kaylee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You’re gonna learn, Alyssa, I swear to god,” Kaylee said. “The whole town looks at her like she’s got a goddamn Scarlet Letter tattooed on her fucking forehead--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee…” Alyssa cautioned softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “--and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>giant, lit up, Christmas tree reason why</span>
  </em>
  <span> is that Shelby is </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span> because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa, Emma, and Kevin all whipped their heads over to Winnie to gauge her reaction, but Winnie was frozen, unblinking, barely breathing. A near-subzero sensation spread throughout her entire body, and not because of the temperature outside. Then, the chill was overcome by molten lava-hot fury that bubbled up like pus from an abscess inside of her throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Like, do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>understand </span>
  </em>
  <span>who you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>living with</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Kaylee went on, looking at Alyssa with some kind of sick rendition of pity in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It would take a very </span>
  <em>
    <span>sick</span>
  </em>
  <span> person to see it that way, and I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> to hear your explanation!” Winnie yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee spun around to her, smoldering. “Shelby was going to be free! She was going to leave town, she was out of here, until </span>
  <em>
    <span>this one</span>
  </em>
  <span> convinced her to go swimming one last time.” Her eyes were cold and hard. “And she drowned. Shelby drowned, while this one could barely flap her arms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Kaylee.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Emma said firmly, but Kaylee ignored her, lost in her own fury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ugh, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pox, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alyssa!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That doesn’t make it my fault!” Winnie cried. “Anyone could have been there-- anyone-- and then they would’ve watched her die, you unbelievable cunt!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Anyone’</span>
  </em>
  <span> wouldn’t have watched her die, Winnie. Anyone else would have done something!” Kaylee snapped back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You weren’t there!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Winnie screamed, and she could feel the tears pricking in her eyes like hot needles, the anguish thick in the back of her throat. “No one was there so how the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell </span>
  </em>
  <span>would you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone knows!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Kaylee shouted in her face. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>knows the </span>
  <em>
    <span>freak </span>
  </em>
  <span>who let her ‘best friend’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>die </span>
  </em>
  <span>while she clung scared to the bow line!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You are </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely insane!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Winnie couldn’t stop the fire spitting from her mouth, and, frankly, she didn’t really care. It felt nice to be made for once instead of playing the meek, timid role in everything she did. “It’s like all those after school specials that warn you about inhuman monsters were all secretly talking about </span>
  <em>
    <span>you!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yes, the person who </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>kill her friend is the monster in this situation, of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Alyssa stepped in between the two of them. “That’s enough! Seriously! I can’t even believe we’re talking about this right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa,” Winnie scampered up to her half-sister like a lost lamb would to its mother. She gripped tightly to Alyssa’s sleeve. “Alyssa, it was awful-- it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>still awful</span>
  </em>
  <span>… I--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa set a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I know. It’s okay, I know. But right now you and Emma are going to break into that office, find that key, and we’re going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>go home</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No.” Kaylee said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa snapped her head around to the other girl. Her teeth were gritted. She’d clearly had enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No?” She echoed, anger lacing her voice. “What do you mean, no?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Aagh!!” Pain lances through Winnie’s head. Then Alyssa’s head. Then Kevin and Emma’s. Kaylee was suspended in the air, her eyes lit up like ruby red fireflies.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “All the outs in free…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>.- .-.. .-.. / .-- .... --- / .- .-. . / --- ..- - / -- .- -.-- / -.-. --- -- . / .. -. / .-- .. - .... --- ..- - / .--. . -. .- .-.. - -.--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was jarred out of the time loop so fiercely she fell backwards onto the pavement, skinning her elbows on the way down. She moaned softly and pressed the heel of her palm to her temple in a vain attempt to get her head to stop pounding like a hammer against a sheet of metal. Above her, Emma blinked and looked around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>whoa,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Emma said. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Man. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Do you ever-- not to quote Tracer, but do you ever get a feeling of deja vu? Cause, like-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>wow. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>so many goosebumps.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She looked down at Winnie and blinked again. “Why are you on the ground?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ugh…” Winnie groaned. Emma extended a hand to her and helped her up to her feet. “Thanks. And, yeah, deja vu has kinda been a running theme of the night. A motif, if you will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma chuckled. “Our English would like that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “But, uhh-- time loop,” Winnie said. “You don’t remember anything from what just happened, I take it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What exactly am I supposed to be remembering?” Emma asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee freaking out on me?” Winnie said. “She, umm-- she was talking about…Shelby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma frowned. “No, yeah, I-- I can’t remember anything like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie sighed. “I’m not surprised.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both walked to the Parks building, only to find the door locked. Winnie took a moment to rest her aching head against the wood. Exhaustion seemed to be bred deep into her bones. She would kill to sit down for just a moment, but knew she couldn’t. There wasn’t time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A touch on her shoulder, light enough for her to shrug off if she wanted, made her jump slightly. She turned to Emma, and was half-expecting her eyes to be red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You okay, kiddo?” Emma asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Winnie answered in a sigh. “The door won’t open, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma peered at it. “I think we can bust our way through. Looks pretty worn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Fun and profitable!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together, they both managed to ram the door and get inside the building. Doing so, however, made Winnie’s bones feel like they were hollow and made from lead, cracking into pieces beneath the power she used. She rolled her shoulder uncomfortably and looked up at the mural of a jet painted on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Know what kind of jet that is?” Winnie asked while she began to search the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Uhh,” Emma squinted up at it. “I think it’s a Banshee? Used a lot in the Korean War. Actually, it-- oh wait.” She laughed. “It’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Banshee. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Get it? We’re dealing with ghosts and a Banshee’s painted on the wall… It’s funny!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Forget I asked,” Winnie said, and Emma laughed again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Plodding over to a bookshelf, Winnie began to poke through all the contents. She pulled out a pamphlet and began to read it outloud, desperate to fill the eerie silence that had descended upon the building once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>‘To sign up for the Aquatics program, please register at the front desk,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Winnie recited, and her breaking of the quietness resulted in a garbled roar in response. She jumped back against the bookshelf, making it rattle treacherously and drop a book on her head, while Emma whipped around and threw a pen as some sort of defense mechanism. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both stared at each other as the noise faded back into stillness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh my god,” Emma finally said, breathless, setting a hand over her heart, which Winnie was sure was racing. “Is that, like, a thing that just happens now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh yeah,” Winnie said. “You’ll get used to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh. Goodie.” Emma said, then looked up. “Thanks, guys!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie managed a wry smile. Might as well </span>
  <em>
    <span>try</span>
  </em>
  <span> to joke about what was going on, right? Maybe it’ll help lessen all the fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she heard the tiny </span>
  <em>
    <span>tap, tap, tap</span>
  </em>
  <span> and knew no amount of jokes could erase the pure horror of the situation she and her friends were all stuck in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unwillingly, she turned her head to the large storefront windows, and the knocking hand of the familiar figure standing outside of it froze in the air. It smiled at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa tried to open the window, but it wouldn’t budge. Her smile disappeared for a moment. She started to tap on the glass again.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Let me in.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mouth was moving, but there was no way Winnie should be hearing her words as clearly as she was. It was like she was already in the room with her, standing right behind her, whispering in her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Come out, dear. Come out. You’ll be safe with us. Come out.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice… It was so wrong. It made Winnie feel sick.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Come to me, little sister. Open the window. Open the window. Open the window.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Go away!” Winnie yelled, but her voice came out as a strangled squeak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice burst into a mad chant.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Openthewindowopenthewindowyoubelongtousopenthewindowopenthewindowopenthewindowopenthewindowopenthewindowopenthewindowopenthewindowopenthewindowopenthewindow…” </b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “GO AWAY!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It stopped. For a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “One day, you’re going to leave the window open. And we’ll crawl in and we’ll remember what happened. We’ll make you remember, too. Open the window, and we won’t hurt you.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>It stood, dead silent. Waiting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie had a feeling this “window” they were referring to wasn’t the window of the Parks building.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Open the window, Guinevere. Open the window. Please. We’re so cold. It’s so dark down here--”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go a-</span>
  <em>
    <span>way!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Winnie’s voice cracked and pitched as she tried to yell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, a frustrated growl. Claws scraped against the glass. The horribly distorted voice spoke back up. A demonic howl filled with static, no presence of friendship left.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You are going to be nothing. </b>
  <b>
    <em>Nothing</em>
  </b>
  <b>.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Not-Alyssa slammed its claws against the window, pressing closer to the glass. Its eyes held nothing but hunger and malice. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You know where I see you in ten years? I see you weak and dirty, hanging by a noose in your own bedroom because you were so much of a failure.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie squeezed her eyes shut, clamping her hands over her ears, trying not to listen. To hear these words come from her half-sister of all people… </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it was like torture.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Nobody wants you. These people? They don’t like you. They’ve never liked you. The only one who will ever care about you is us. </b>
  <b>
    <em>We</em>
  </b>
  <b> want you.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Just…just go away! Please….go away…”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Let me tell you the truth, Guinevere. The world is horrifying. It is empty and dark. In the end, it won’t even matter if you came with us or not.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The voices started to fade, as did the figure at the storefront window.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You’ll see that, Guinevere. You’ll see that.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Did you find anything yet?” Emma asked, walking out from the back room she had been searching. “Hey, what’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie blinked and inhaled sharply. She swiped at her watering eyes and shook her head. “Nothing. I’m fine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avoiding Emma’s worried stare, she scrambled over to a table and began rummaging through a chest on top of it. She pulled out a small grey radio, similar to the one in her pocket, but blockier and much shinier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Here’s something!” She said. “It’s another, ahh…pocket radio, I think? But it’s got, like, way more station than the one I have now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma looked in the box and pulled out a second one, along with a slip of paper. “It says they’re WAL-Radios.” She said, reading the text printed on the paper. “‘Wave Assisted Lock…’ Each frequency can, like, open doors or something? It’s like a key. Maybe this is what Kevin meant?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Maybe,” Winnie said, looking down at the radio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oooh, cool, check this out!” Emma pulled out a second piece of paper, this one larger and written in pristine cursive text. She began to read from it. “‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Personal effects of Angela Dorothy Dickinson.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie blinked. “Why would her stuff be here? Hasn’t her family, like, taken all of it away by now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I dunno,” Emma said. “Here, I’m-- we can start heading back down, but I’m gonna read this as we go, so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘I have been compelled by both forces outside of my control and my own willful concern for the safety of others to conceal the many truths about Edwards Island. But now, I feel any further inaction may carry a far greater risk. Inside, you’ll find two WAL-equipped radios. I have commandeered the old Cardinal Station, 140.1, and used it to relay clues to the nearby beacons buried throughout the area. Find these beacons and the notes within, and discover the true chronicle of the island. To whoever finds the material, know that I am discomfited in keeping it hidden, and ashamed for the lies I helped preserve. But also know that I acted in what I felt were the best interests for all at the time, and truly for the interest of time itself.’</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Emma looked up from the letter. “Angela Dickinson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wow,” Winnie said. “Just-- wow. That is…</span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma laughed a little. “Yeah. Wanna try the radio? See if it can really find these ‘beacons’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh-- yeah, sure,” Winnie pulled the radio out from her cardigan’s pocket and turned the dial to channel 140.1. After a moment of crackling, the signal was connected and a voice started to emit from the speaker.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Everything becomes a--Alpha…November…Tango…India…Quebec…Uniform… Echo--eventually.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, that’s…helpful…” Emma said, scratching her head in visible confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie looked around Main Street. She waved the radio around as if it were a metal detector and felt it vibrate slightly in her hand when she pointed it towards the antique shop. She walked over to the shop and found something buried in the dirt in the alleyway. Picking it up, she realized it was a tiny chest, and inside of it was a letter. She began to read it outloud to Emma, who was looking over curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “‘The USS Walter Roy, a destroyer escort, sunk the USS Kanaloa with friendly fire on October 25th, 1943. It had held a developmental nuclear reactor in its belly, and had been sent out weeks earlier as a test of its capabilities. Relatively few even knew of its existence, which tripled the bases’s confusion when the submarine’s communications had been cut. No one outside of a handful of us would ever know the truth. I would discover later that a weapons technician of the Walter Roy had been at Dee Dee Allen’s wedding; Allen was an engineer on the Kanaloa. I don’t know why, but it’s strange to me.’”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie glanced over at Emma, who looked as confused and concerned as she felt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It was sunk by friendly fire?” Emma finally said. “I thought-- didn’t those radio tours say, like, the Russians sank it or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We were lied to,” Winnie said, and a shiver ran down her spine. She had to repeat the sentence to herself to make it sound real, though she didn’t know why she was so shocked by something she never really thought much about before. “We were lied to-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>why?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, you know how America is,” Emma said while they began to scale the fence to get back to the field. “We can’t ever admit our mistakes. We gotta be this perfect, flawless superpower.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wait, but--” Winnie was starting to fumble. She kept looking down at the note, as if she were expecting answers to appear upon its parchment and give her the full backstory of the Kanaloa. “So we’ve been blaming the wrong people all these years?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma frowned. “I guess so? As I said, America can’t ever admit when it’s done something wrong.” She shook herself out as they began walking down the path to meet back up with Alyssa and Kevin, passing underneath one of the few lampposts still working in the area. “Hey, why are you wearing that jacket? It’s, like, seventy-five degrees!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What? It’s cold! Seventy-five degrees is </span>
  <em>
    <span>cold</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “In Texas, maybe. This is Indiana, sweetie. We’re the North. Aren’t we supposed to, like, be immune to the cold and weak to the heat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Not me. I’m weak to both.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I can tell. You fry like a little shrimp in the sun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oi! Rude!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A voice ahead of them laughed. “Shelby, we didn’t bring drinks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was giggling, too, but then the noise caught painfully in her throat. She doubletaked so hard she was surprised her head didn’t fly right off her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wait-- Shelby?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her best friend grinned at her. Her curly brown hair was done back in a rare ponytail- she usually preferred to have it down and frame her face in a way that made her look like an elegant maned lioness. The smile painted on her pink lips would make even the sun jealous of its perfect glow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “The one and only!” Shelby chirped. At her side, Kaylee chuckles lovingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Y-y-y-you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Winnie cried, staggering backwards. She suddenly couldn’t breathe at all, like her lungs had been ripped right out of her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m dead,” Shelby repeated. She looked at Kaylee. “I’m dead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I think she means the--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Shelby nodded and looked back at Winnie. “The car? Don’t worry about it. My mom and dad already know. They don’t care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>No, no, no, no, no--</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Winnie shook her head wildly, trying to snap herself out of the hellish time loop she was caught in. “Just-- just </span>
  <em>
    <span>listen to me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You will </span>
  <em>
    <span>drown. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You are </span>
  <em>
    <span>going to drown. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Not-- not here, but back at home. At the lake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You seem </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>confident,” Shelby said, then looked at Kaylee again. “She seems confident. I’m nervous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>“I would be,” Kaylee said, though she sounded as amused as Shelby did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Relax, sweetie,” Shelby said to Winnie, setting a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Her touch felt so real, so fucking real, and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt </span>
  </em>
  <span>because Winnie knew it really wasn’t. “I’m gonna teach you how to swim at the pool in the park soon, don’t worry. You’ll be able to doggy paddle like all the cool kids in no time!”</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Where-- where’s Alyssa?!” Winnie looked around frantically. A panic attack was starting to rise up inside of her chest, desperate to overcome her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa? Who’s Alyssa?” Kaylee asked curiously. Her voice was so sweet when she talked to Winnie, not laced with hidden poison or barbed with vicious sarcasm, but genuinely loving towards the younger girl. “Is someone else coming?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, is that a friend of yours?” Shelby added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You wanna know who Alyssa is?” Winnie grit. She was tired of losing people every single hour. “She’s my new half-sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Kaylee and Shelby’s eyes widen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Now do you know what’s happening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought they would finally get it, but then Shelby and Kaylee began to laugh. They continued their trek down to the beach, and Winnie’s legs followed them without her command…as if they were running on muscle memory…as if they had done this before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Winnie realized they </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>done this before. This was a day she could remember clearly, about a year ago, back when she was fourteen and still thought pigtails were in style. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay, and here I thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the closest person to you,” Shelby said, giggling. “Can’t I be called your sister first?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, it’s like when my mom calls her cat her ‘special little lady.’ I mean, I’m standing right there!” Kaylee put in. She looked so happy…and not evil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wh-- why-- why am I here?” Winnie squeaked. She was starting to get weak in the knees. She thought she was going to be sick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You said you wanted to go to the beach,” Shelby said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Good choice, too, Winnie,” Kaylee said, flashing her a genuine smile. “Today turned out to be a flawless day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nausea seemed to melt away as they got down to the beach and stepped onto the sand. When Winnie looked at the ocean, she felt no fear, no anxiety, no trauma-induced pain… Just serenity and curiosity for the sparkling blue body of water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind felt like it was melting, but the sensation sent a ripple of peace throughout her body, almost like morphine. She calmed by degrees in a matter of seconds. To be honest, she could ever barely remember what she had been freaking out about moments earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s felt like it’s been forever since we’ve seen each other,” Shelby said to Winnie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(wasn’t that the truth.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “How have you been?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Pretty good,” Winnie told her. “Nothing too spectacular.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh-- hold that thought!” Shelby jolted. “Sorry, I--” She patted her pockets. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yup</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I forgot my phone on the ferry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh god, you idiot,” Kaylee laughed. “Go get it before it leaves!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “When I get back, I wanna hear a Winnie story!” Shelby yelled as she dashed up back the path they came from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie and Kaylee were left alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie sat down across from Kaylee in the sand. It was warm when she dug her fingers into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “So…” Kaylee said, breaking the brief moment of silence between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Do you remember anything?” Winnie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee blinked. “What do you mean? There’s a lot of things for me to remember, sweetie.” She chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “The ghosts,” Winnie said, but the words felt weird on even her own tongue, as if she didn’t know what they meant, either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee raised her eyebrows. “Ghosts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, they--” Winnie was fumbling. She had no idea what she was talking about. She blinked. “Umm-- I-- I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee laughed. “Silly girl,” She said affectionately. “I think you’ve pulled one-too-many all-nighters. Your eye bags are big enough to hold my weekly groceries!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie laughed, too. “I know, I know. I just don’t wanna fall behind in school. The flaws of being a people-pleasing perfectionist.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You’re already perfect the way you are,” Kaylee said, and Winnie couldn’t help but blush. “I’m glad we could do this today. I know you and Shelby are close and all, and I know it can be annoying to have the girlfriend around, but I’d like to do more stuff with you. If that’s okay with you, of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie smiled- </span>
  <em>
    <span>really smiled</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Yeah! I- I would love to!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee beamed. “Great! I’m glad! And, hey, Shelbs loves you a lot. I mean, I’m sure you already know that, but seriously. She talks about you all the time.” She chuckled. “‘Oh, Winnie did this, and Winnie let the frogs out in science class, isn’t she hilarious?’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie giggled, blushing again. “Thank you for telling me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, of course!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Had to fight the skipper for it, but he didn’t reckon how many squats I could do,” Shelby said as she walked back over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What’s it up to?” Kaylee bent back to look at her. “Six?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Only on non-leg day,” Shelby said. “On leg day? It’s, like, eight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee and I had a nice chat,” Winnie said. “Too bad you came back so soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shelby chuckled and looked at Kaylee. “I’m sure Winnie told you about how I lock her in my basement and treat her like a shaved monkey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “The version I heard was you trap her in the greenhouse and scream ‘PHOTOSYNTHESIS!’ in her face while spraying her with a spray bottle,” Kaylee said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, well,” Shelby shrugged. “It changes month-to-month.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All three girls laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey, I actually want a cold…something,” Kaylee said, standing up. “So I’m gonna run up and grab something. You two want anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m good,” Shelby said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Can you get me something, please?” Winnie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, of course,” Kaylee nodded. “Anything specific?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Surprise me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee laughed. “You got it.” She disappeared up the path.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie and Shelby were alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’ve missed you,” Winnie whispered. “It really has felt like forever since I’ve seen you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Aww,” Shelby cooed. “I missed you, too, Pooh Bear. Also, hey, I know this was supposed to be our day, but I completely forget that I promised Kaylee that I would do something with her. So, thanks for chaperoning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No problem,” Winnie said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s really important to me that you like her, so tell me the truth: what do you really think of us being together?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie didn’t even have to process the question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Stick with it. Stay with her.” She said. “If she makes you laugh, if she makes you smile…who am I to say otherwise?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shelby lit up brightly. “Thank you! Good blessings and good tidings!” She and Winnie laughed. “Hey, I’ve never noticed that that’s a good jacket. I should ask for it back. My new one sucks. Feels like I got…shoes on my arms or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie pulled the soft green cardigan closer around her. “No way, bucko!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Bucko?” Shelby laughed. “You haven’t called me that in years! Come here- let me see if it still fits, at least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Fine!” Winnie groaned. “But even if it does, I’m not giving it back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay, okay!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shelby scooted over and reached to grab the jacket when Winnie took it off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When their hands brushed each other, everything cut to static.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. until dawn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>  “…Winnie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie giggled in her daze, lolling her head back and forth across the sand. Except, the sand felt a lot harder than it should be…and it was so cold all of a sudden…and she couldn’t see the glow of the sunlight behind her eyelids.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “…Winnie?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Claw away the darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie tried. She really did. She was weaker. It was harder to fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her claws chipped and darkness overtook her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was pulled back into a freezing black ocean. Waves battered against her. Salt water stung in several open wounds that she didn’t even know she had. Red bubbles exploded from her lips and, in return, bloody mouthfuls of sea foam rushed down her esophagus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “…Winnie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thrashed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thrashed and kicked and paddled in sheer desperation before she was able to grab onto something. It became her anchor and it was the only thing she had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Winnie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s body jolted upright for the second time that night. She sat up so quickly it sent a miniature gun salute popping and cracking up her spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Winnie? Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma was kneeling beside her. She had her hands on her shoulders. Her eyes were deeply worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You kinda-- you kinda went weird for a few minutes,” Emma said. “I thought I lost you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No, I’m-- I’m fine, Emma. Promise.” Winnie assured her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Nothing new hurts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Nothing new hurts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma nodded and stepped back, pulling Winnie to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What was I doing?” Winnie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, you, like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>stopped walking</span>
  </em>
  <span>, then you started </span>
  <em>
    <span>spinning. Slowly.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Emma tried to explain. “And you were talking to yourself. It was so weird. What happened to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I--” The words caught in Winnie’s throat. The memory of what exactly went down flashed through her mind. “I saw Shelby again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Holy shit,” Emma said. “Okay-- okay-- explain it to me. Can you do that? Will you be okay to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, yeah,” Winnie nodded. “We were…we were on the beach on some random Saturday. Kaylee was there. It was…amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma got a sympathetic look in her eyes. “Was it good? I don’t even know how to say this without… I just wanna make sure you’re alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So many emotions were whirling through Winnie’s mind- sadness, grief, closure, pain, misery, anger, longing… There was too much for her to process and it made her brain feel like it was going to burst apart in her skull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It was good to see her again,” She whispered. “It just-- it sucks that she’s not-- that she’s not here, I guess. That’s all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma gave her a quick, but tight hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’ll all be over soon, Winnie. Don’t worry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie nodded silently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that she somewhat had her bearings collected, she and Emma began moving again--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--but not without station 140.1 going off in Winnie’s pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“For the ships coming home, turn on the--Lima…India…Golf…Hotel…Tango.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie fished the radio out of her pocket and held it out. Its vibrations led her to the foot of the nearby lighthouse, where another note was buried. Like before, she read it outloud to Emma.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “‘There’s a similar statue of a soldier in Maine, where I grew up. My memory of it is, I think, part of the reason why I said yes when the army recruited me out of college, despite my family’s protestations. Trent, my closest friend from childhood, was of course thrilled at the possibility of my escape. I anonymously started the petition in 1975 to have this one made, after one of the Kanaloa crewwomen, Dee Dee Allen. I don’t know why... A marker, maybe, for the hope I once had to help people.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kinda sad, don’t you think?” Winnie said as she and Emma began walking again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Emma nodded. “All her hard work… Must not have meant anything in the end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon arriving at the hill that led up to the tower, Winnie and Emma found Alyssa and Kevin waiting in front of the gate to the Dickinson property. They went over to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why aren’t you guys at the tower?” Emma asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>This one,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Alyssa jerked a thumb at Kevin, “got a little antsy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Weird stuff was playing on the radio!” Kevin protested. “Some freaky voice said I had a ‘mother’s laugh.’ Like, what does that even mean?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Anyways…” Alyssa said. “Are we happy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We are happy,” Emma confirmed. “We got a radio that’s supposed to open locks and stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Have you two made up?” Winnie asked, looking at Alyssa and Kevin warily. “What am I working with here, how much leering am I gonna have to put up with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, I’m glad we can leave, let’s put it that way,” Kevin answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Alyssa said. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>wanna get out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Better test the radio, then,” Emma said to Winnie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie nodded and took out the radio. She walked up to the gate blocking the entrance to the Dickinson property and saw a small mechanical plate with three pieces of a pyramid on it. She began to tune in and, on channel 56, each part of the pyramid lit up blue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gate swung open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Cool!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Neat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those were the chimes from the other three.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Please have a boat, please have a boat, please have a boat…” Kevin muttered as they all passed into the Dickinson property.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The salty tang of the sea was as sharp there as it was on the beach. Land broke away and became a wooden boardwalk, which creaked loudly with each footstep pressed against the boards. The black ocean churned loudly below the four of them. It sent spirals of anxiety twisting uneasily through Winnie, but she tried her best to stamp them down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “A boat!” Kevin cried in relief, looking at the boat bobbing by the docks. “Oh, thank god. The keys are probably inside the house, which is HUGE by the way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was right. The house </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> big. How some old woman got the money to pay for it was beyond all of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After finding that the door was locked, but had a tune in symbol, Winnie took out the radio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t like how much she was having to use it.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>107.1</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That is a nifty gizmo.” Kevin said as they all herded inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surprisingly, it was quite warm inside the house, which was a relief because the temperature was definitely dropping outside. The four teenagers scampered through the foyer and to the living and dining room area, where they were hoping to regroup and maybe find someone to eat or drink (none of them had noticed how hungry they were before). However, all they ended up finding was a figure in one of the armchairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “There you guys are!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh my god!” Alyssa shrieked, jumping backwards. “You scared me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee!” Emma rushed up to the older girl, nearly knocking her over in a hug. “Jesus! I was so worried about you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee blinked and stumbled, slightly stunned by the sudden contact, but then she laughed softly and patted Emma’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m okay, Emma,” Kaylee told her. “I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Everyone, keep your distance…” Winnie said cautiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others looked at her confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What?” Emma blinked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why?” Kevin asked. “It’s Kaylee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yes, dear,” Kaylee said. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Something’s-- something’s wrong with you,” Winnie said. “I don’t know what, but-- I dunno, it just seems like you’re not on our side.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Not on your side?” Kaylee echoed, scoffing. “What, I-- I yell at you a little bit and suddenly I’m a Russian spy now? Stuff happened, it happens, it’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> than just </span>
  <em>
    <span>yelling!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Winnie protested. “You were dropping </span>
  <em>
    <span>atom bombs</span>
  </em>
  <span> of </span>
  <em>
    <span>rage </span>
  </em>
  <span>on my </span>
  <em>
    <span>head.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Honey, you would </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>if I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>truly </span>
  </em>
  <span>upset, okay?” Kaylee said dismissively. “Ask Emma! Kyle Lim has a limp for a reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay, well--” Winnie shuffled her feet awkwardly. “How did you get in here? The door was locked. Did you have a radio?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I didn’t have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>radio</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Kaylee said, looking at Winnie absurdly. “The kitchen window was open. I climbed in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “And the fence?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I jumped it. I’m not as dainty as you think, Guinevere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well-- still,” Winnie crossed her arms. “We should keep an eye on her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, I just might climb through the kitchen window again! Who knows?” Kaylee said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie scanned Kaylee over. The older girl had always been an amazing liar, but she didn’t seem to be hiding anything…at that moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alright, Kaylee’s here, great!” Kevin said. “Everyone start looking. Find something and hope that it helps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They broke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie and Alyssa went upstairs, finding a string for a pulldown ladder, which Alyssa very helpfully called a “cat toy”. They climbed up it, finding a musty old attic and a chest in the far back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chest with a padlock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Of course.” Winnie sighed, then muttered, “Paranoid old woman…” She walked back down the ladder and made her way to the exit of the house. “Hey, Alyssa. How are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “How are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing?” Alyssa fired back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “As crappy as everyone else.” Winnie said. “I feel like I just got run over by a truck. With acid wheels.” She paused. “If that makes sense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa laughed. “I got it. I think everyone feels the same. We’ll make shirts when we get home!” She quickened her pace to walk right beside Winnie as they stepped off of the front porch. She placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “We’ll be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Are </span>
  </em>
  <span>we okay?” Winnie asked, stopping for a moment. She looked up at her half-sister. “I mean-- after what happened. Back at the tower. Are we…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m not gonna pretend it didn’t bother me,” Alyssa said. “But it would be stupid to let </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>ruin this whole thing we have going on.” She looked back at Winnie. “I want us to be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I do, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, then, great! We are!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie could only manage a wry, barely-hopeful smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked down the front path and back down to the boardwalk. On their way to the basement, they stopped by the boat docks to check in on Kaylee and Emma, who were having a friendly conversation to pass the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey, Emma,” Winnie said, walking up to the shorter girl first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma smiled at her. “Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “How’s it going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “As steady as she goes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma left it at that. Winnie moved on to Kaylee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Your Highness.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s mind flashed back to the time loop in front of the tunnel, however she couldn’t muster up even an ounce of anger or rage. When she looked into Kaylee’s eyes, so unloving, unlike in her vision of the two of them and Shelby on the beach, any embers she may have conjured got instantly smothered and replaced by freezing cold misery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “For the eight hundredth time--and I don’t know why I have to keep trying to sell you on this, but here it goes-- Shelby wasn’t my fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee crossed her arms, and Winnie prepared for a vicious hurl of flaming words, but she just sighed and looked dejectedly at the murky water. Maybe she was imagining what it must have been like for Winnie on that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “If that’s what you believe in, I guess,” Kaylee finally said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a momentary burst of flame, but a rock to the boardwalk from a particularly big ripple put it out. Kaylee looked upset, Winnie realized. She didn’t know what to say to that, so she just turned and walked to the basement. Alyssa trailed quietly behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Find anything useful?” Winnie asked, stepping inside the stale-smelling basement. Alyssa went to check out a desk as she spoke with Kevin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Nothing yet, but the night’s still young.” Kevin answered. He had definitely calmed by degrees since the argument on the tower, but Winnie could still see betrayal glinting behind his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “How are you feeling?” Winnie pressed. She wanted Kevin to know she still cared about him. “Physically, I mean. Everyone looks like they’ve got the flu.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were all pale- too pale for it to be healthy. It was as if their blood was slowly being drained from her body as the night progressed, leaving it blanched and cold. The only color that remained on their faces were their eyes, although very dull and void, like scuffed up gemstones, and the feverish pink flush that dusted their cheeks. There was the shaking, too- the incessant trembling of their limbs, but they all knew it wasn’t from the cold. Not really.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why do you care?” Kevin snapped. He marched past Winnie to inspect a projector. “Seriously,” He whipped his head around to look at Winnie. “Why didn’t you let me go with you to Main Street? Did I do something that bad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hurt in his eyes returned. The pinch against Winnie’s aorta did, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m sorry, Kevin. I’m sorry.” Winnie said. “I just thought you needed a breather. I mean, an hour earlier you were literally possessed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That--” Kevin processed it. “--is true. That is true. But it was still annoying!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie went to say something else, but Kevin turned away to dig through a shelf. She sighed and regrouped with Alyssa, who managed to find a padlock code in a desk, so they made the hike all the way back up to the attic and opened up the chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside were the keys, which made Winnie’s heart leap in joy, but also a map of the caves.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Tune into the signal,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was what the page said and, as Winnie was reading this aloud while she and Alyssa made their way back downstairs, a glitchy wave contorted the entire house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was back in the attic.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Winnie…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>That was Kaylee’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Oh, Winnie…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>She was calling for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Come down here please. We have something we want to show you.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie didn’t want to move. She wanted to huddle up and hide in that attic until dawn, but she feared what would happen to her and her friends if she didn’t obey, so, slowly, so slowly, she crept down the attic ladder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed two bodies- Kevin in the study and Emma in the bedroom. Winnie rushed to Kevin first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin was slumped low in a chair, his limbs completely limp and his head sagging.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kevin, come on! We got a boat to catch!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin did not stir.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie went to Emma, next. The girl was sprawled in a position on the floor that looked painful. Her muscles were probably straining just to keep her in that form. Like Kevin, her eyes were shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Emma, let’s go! We gotta motor!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma did not move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie hurried down the stairs. She found Alyssa’s body in a chair in the foyer. Her legs were bent on the floor, and the only thing keeping her body up was the way she was propped on the seat cushion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Come on, Alyssa, I-- I </span>
  <em>
    <span>need you!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Don’t blank out on me now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa did not wake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie backed up slowly. The thought that all three of them may have been dead hit her like a freight train.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Ah.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>A voice from behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “There you are.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie turned slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was Kaylee, standing in the dining room. She almost looked normal. Aside from the glowing red eyes, of course.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Now, we imagine you’re a bit confused,”</b>
  <span> She said. </span>
  <b>“But don’t fret. This will be the final part of your training, Winnie.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>   “𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕦𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕤,” Chimed the radio in Winnie’s pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Training?” Winnie echoed. “I-I don’t want to be--”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“You signed up for this, Guinevere,” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee cut her off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ì§. Lêåvê. Þð§§ïßlê.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“So please,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee continued. </span>
  <b>“I cannot bear your excuses, offspring.”</b>
  <span> Her voice was flitted and splotched with stinging irritation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m sorry, okay?” Winnie said. “How many times do you want me to say it? I had no idea what would happen!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not-Kaylee held her hands up in a calming gesture, then set one on Winnie’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The touch was icy cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You have nothing to apologize for,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said.</span>
  <b> “Trust us on that.” </b>
  <span>Winnie didn’t budge beneath her hand. She went on: </span>
  <b>“The test is easy. We--”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Ninety-seven figures appeared all throughout the house, eyes glowing, bodies flickering in the darkness that held them. They disappeared as quickly as they came.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “--will speak of something we see in the house and you will go and find it. See? As simple and good-humored as your mother’s apple pie.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie didn’t answer. Not-Kaylee drew her hand back.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Let’s start off with something easy,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said. </span>
  <b>“I spy with my little eye…radiation.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie jarred out of her daze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee began to count down from ten.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie started to search the house frantically. It was difficult having to pass by her friend’s bodies- she nearly tripped over Kevin’s strewn-out legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, as Not-Kaylee hit three, she went with the only thing she could think of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Is it-- are you talking about the TV?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Very good! Well done!”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee praised. </span>
  <b>“Now, next… I spy…a knot.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The countdown began again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie searched, but she couldn’t find a damn knot anywhere in the house. It didn’t help that it felt like she was upside down again.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“One.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s stomach coiled painfully.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“What a disappointment you’ve turned out to be, Guinevere.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>A grandfather clock chimed loudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa’s body began to shudder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No! Don’t do anything to her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But They didn’t listen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the blink of an eye, Alyssa was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Aw, your new sister,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee cooed in pity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Bring her back!!” Winnie cried. Tears edged her vision. “Right now! Bring her back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Oh, I’m sorry, dear,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said.</span>
  <b> “As they say- what’s done is done. And now, it’s time for the bonus round, Winnie. Stay sharp. I spy a memory.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s mind flashed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She staggered away from where Alyssa used to be and up the stairs. Not-Kaylee was watching her from the study, by Kevin’s body, as she hobbled to the bedroom and pointed to a photo on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “The picture,” She croaked.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“Very good. Very nice.” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee purred. She appeared beside Winnie and pat her head like you would a dog. </span>
  <b>“That’s a picture of Angie Dickinson and her friend, Trent. You see, you and your schoolyard chums are experiencing-- well, this has sort of happened before.”</b>
  <span> She tipped her head to the photo. </span>
  <b>“Angie and Trent tried to…sport with us many years ago. And, well…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Images flashed by Winnie’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Only one survived.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Not-Kaylee turned and began walking back down to the living room. She seemed to drag Winnie along by an unseen force.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “But in the process, we discovered a way to return, so to speak.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>They both stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “It just takes a little time.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What happened to Trent?” Winnie asked softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Let’s just leave it at: the poor boy didn’t know what he was playing with. It doesn’t matter.</b>
  <span>” Not-Kaylee answered. </span>
  <b>“The waves. It’s the waves, we think. And we will use those waves to absorb into your friends as sunlight blooms into flowers. And we will grow. And we will engulf.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s entire body felt as if it were just dunked in arctic waters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “You-- you can’t do that!” She cried. “Think about what you’re doing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “We </b>
  <b>
    <em>can</em>
  </b>
  <b> do that, Guinevere,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said. </span>
  <b>“And what has seemed to your parents as eighty years has been eons to know an existence without life.”</b>
  <span> Her words seeped in before she began again, </span>
  <b>“We tried it too quickly with Trent, but now we know to wait…and soak.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Down down down- Winnie was pushed deep into the icy waters of her terror. She was frozen, unable to fight against the tide.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “We had to keep you here, on the island. It will be a great honor, Guinevere, really…to carry us through this life.”</b>
  <span> A wicked smile curled on Not-Kaylee’s lips. </span>
  <b>“And onto the next.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie backed away, but she knew running would do her no good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Please, just don’t do this,” She begged. “We’re-- we’re not--”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“It’s sad, I know, to lose the facility to feel…”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said. </span>
  <b>“…to be, but…we have not felt anything for a very long time. And we’ll do whatever is necessary.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Not-Kaylee chuckled at Winnie’s horrified expression. She knelt to her height and leaned in close.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“When our vessel dashed on the rocks we had until dawn,”</b>
  <span> She said. </span>
  <b>“So do you.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled back suddenly.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“We would spend our time wisely. And,” </b>
  <span>She smiled, </span>
  <b>“we thank you for your good service.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s vision blurred and she was back in the attic. She trudged down the ladder and found three tape players in the place where her friend’s bodies used to be. She sluggishly cranked the handle of the top two, her mind far away, but when she walked downstairs to get to the last one and passed the large mirror, her reflection shifted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Let Shelby go out on her own,” </b>
  <span>The Other-Winnie said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why-- why does it even matter? She’s not-- Shelby’s not here.” Winnie growled, but her reflection shifted again and it was back to normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and went to the last tape player and cranked the handle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything around her buzzed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ugh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma was on the floor in the foyer, with Kevin and Alyssa strewn out beside her. They all groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I think I’m gonna be sick…” Emma mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Me first,” Kevin moaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie wanted to leap into all of their arms, wanted to express how happy she was that they were no longer hollow shells of human bodies, but she couldn’t. She felt too dizzy, too nauseated, too scared to do anything beside slowly lower herself into one of the armchairs in the foyer. She propped her elbows up on her knees and held her head, letting everything that was said to her sink in fully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were going to die. Or maybe just become vessels for ghosts that would wear their skin like coats, and she wasn’t sure what was worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Did--” Alyssa’s voice faltered for a moment. “Did that just happen? With you and Kaylee? That wasn’t a dream, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I wish it was,” Winnie sighed. She raised her head, but found that doing so was much more difficult than she expected. It was like her skull was now made out of the heaviest metal in existence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kaylee, she’s…” Emma looked around. “Those weird nuclear submarine monsters took her to the caves. We have to go get her back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, of course,” Winnie nodded. “But how?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Angie has a bunch of old military tapes in her basement,” Kevin said. “I know there’s some slides on the tunnels dug all around this island. Maybe they’ll help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Worth a shot,” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four of them walked out of the house and down to the basement. The ocean was churning loudly, black waves rolling over one another like they were fighting for power over the sea. The boardwalk rocked treacherously, the boards practically threatening to cave in beneath the teenagers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all ducked into the basement and Kevin went over to the projector while Winnie grabbed a reel. She put it in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first slide to pop up was of two young adults around their age or maybe in their early twenties reading a journal together. One was a woman and the other was a man. They both seemed…happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh god, if this is a prehistoric scrapbook…” Kevin said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s cute! They’re learning!” Winnie said. “But it doesn’t help us. So onto the next…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next slide showed the blueprints of a bunker up on the field.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay… Okay, great!” Emma said. “There’s an entrance into the cave through this bomb shelter. That’s probably our way in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why not just use the cave?” Alyssa asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “About that…” Emma said. “The cave, well-- it kinda caved in after you guys went in it. So we got our entry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The slide after that was a sketch of the weird triangles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Woah, Angie knew about those things?” Emma said aloud. “That’s so weird…and creepy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It says that, to fix a ‘temporal tear’--wow, that’s a mouthful--in the cave, we would need to transpose to the ‘other side’ and…tune into the source…?” Kevin sounded as confused as they all felt as he spoke aloud. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay, but we’re not doing that, right?” Alyssa said. “That seems a little…extreme.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I think we have to,” Winnie said. “We don’t have many options here, guys. But how would she even know about this? There’s no way she did </span>
  <em>
    <span>that much </span>
  </em>
  <span>research on these things. It’s just not normal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others could only shrug helplessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The final slide was of those triangles with lines drown out from its center and other weird sketches that barely made any sense to Winnie. Her brain felt like mush inside of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, hang on, wait--” Emma said. “This is something I actually remember from that stupid radio tour thing, cause it, like, sounded so </span>
  <em>
    <span>weird</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It’s called the ‘Call and Response’ system? It unlocks the bomb shelter. This is showing us how to do it.” She began pointing things out to Winnie and the others. “See? It says, ‘When someone sends an emergency signal from the Catbird Station in the woods, and the receiving station confirms it.’” She turned back to them, looking confident. “It’s like a connected response thing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Brilliant!” Winnie said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Really?” Alyssa looked reasonably skeptical. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s good enough for me,” Kevin shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay, then, well…” Alyssa shifted, then nodded. “Kevin and Emma are Team, um, Soaring Eagle, and Winnie and I are…Awesome Squad!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Aww, I want that one,” Kevin said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We’ll head through the woods, do the, um, ‘call’ part,” Alyssa went on. “You and Emma can hang by the door to the bomb shelter and open it when it’s ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alright, great!” Kevin said. “Break! And if </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything goes</span>
  </em>
  <span> wrong, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please, don’t tell me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I don’t wanna know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Same here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all got a laugh out of the situation as they walked out of the Dickinson property.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was when Winnie saw Kevin drowning.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. as quiet as an empty church</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>  “Winnie… Winnie… Winnie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie gasped, seizing on the ground for a moment and dirtying her poor green jacket up even more. Her eyes finally opened, removing the horrid image of her dear friend floundering helplessly in the ocean, and saw Alyssa standing over her, looking worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey, are you okay?” Alyssa asked. “Back to normal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I--” Winnie looked around. Alyssa helped her stand up. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You went all red-eyed,” Alyssa said grimly. “Like when we get possessed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I did?” Winnie squeaked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Alyssa frowned. “You stopped walking and started mumbling, and then your eyes lit up all red and stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh god,” Winnie whispered. “Alyssa, I-- I saw Kevin </span>
  <em>
    <span>drowning</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s-- that’s not good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I know!” Winnie wrung her hands in her shirt nervously. “We gotta get moving. We gotta go. We can’t-- this has to end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Alyssa nodded. “Come on. Let’s go.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>  “Well, the station’s at the top of the hill,” Alyssa said. With a sigh, she added, “I hope this works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Me too,” Winnie said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were back in the woods, back to pushing through brambles and branches to get to the clearing with the cable car. Their goal was the upper cabin that they hadn’t gone into before, and they began hiking up to--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.--- ..- ... - / --. .. ...- . / ..- .--.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, the station’s at the top of the hill,” Alyssa said. With a sigh, she added, “I hope this works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie felt like she wanted to cry or pull out her hair and scream- maybe both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s the thing again,” She mumbled sluggishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa groaned. “We’re due, I guess. It’s been, like, a minute since the last one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They tried to trek up the hill to the Catbird Station again, but were sent right back to the bottom of the maintenance cabin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.--. .-.. . .- ... .</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, the station’s at the top of the hill,” Alyssa said. With a sigh, she added, “I hope this works.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yep,” Winnie agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa didn’t say anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she tried again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the tenth try, Winnie’s head was splitting open and she was frustrated to the point where she was near tears. She backed up, ready to maybe charge up the path and hope she couldn’t be looped if she moved quick enough, but then she noticed something under the bridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lightning crackled and lit up the horribly bloody and disfigured shape of Kevin’s body impaled on the rocks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was strung by the stomach, gouging it wide open and letting her long, gooey intestines hang out. His skull, which must have struck against one of the rocks, was split and his brains were revealed to the rain and the cool night air. Blood was practically soaking the entirety of the stone his corpse was stuck on, turning the river water below a sickly shade of red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma was on the other side of the bank, sitting on the shore with her head buried in her knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t even muster up the will to cry- she was much too mortified. Shock set in fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Emma,” Alyssa said as they both slowly approached the scene. The smell of blood and entrails was thick in the air. “What happened? What happened to Kevin?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma snapped her head up. There were tears streaming down her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kevin-- he’s-- he had an accident, he-- he died. I couldn’t--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh my god,” Winnie whispered. Her knees wobbled, then buckled; she was on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What happened?” Alyssa asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “He--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s vision bugged out. Kevin’s bloated, waterlogged corpse was in front of her, skin grey, eyes clouded, mouth open in a frozen horrified expression and leaking water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “He drowned.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s vision bugged out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “She--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin was standing at the top of the guard rail on the bridge. He spread his arms and fell backwards. The blood splatter splashed out onto Winnie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “He fell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s vision bugged out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “He--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin was nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I don’t know… He just…stopped.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s vision bugged out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then it all twisted and shifted and everything bled together. Starbursts and fireworks exploded beneath her eyelids and her brain rattled viciously inside of her skull to the point where she thought it may just fly right out. When she pried her heavy eyes open again, she was standing in the maintenance shack in the dark. A storm was raging outside. The only light came from the occasional claps of lightning and Alyssa’s red glowing eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “I mean, does it really matter what happened?” </b>
  <span>Her half-sister’s piloted carcass asked. </span>
  <b>“Either way, done is done.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I know you’re not really Alyssa,” Winnie grit.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Soon, it won’t be a pretense, dear. It will be an absolute.”</b>
  <span> Not-Alyssa said, and her words oozed from her lips like thousands of spiders. </span>
  <b>“Winnie, we know you’re in charge and we know your plan and we also know that your plan won’t work. It never does.” </b>
  <span>A smile twitched on her horribly pale lips when Winnie shivered. “</span>
  <b>So, we have a proposition for you.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Like what?” Winnie was suspicious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door behind Not-Alyssa swung open, not affected by the power of the howling winds outside. She turned smoothly and walked right out into the freezing rain. Winnie had no choice but to follow, and she got drenched instantly. The cold bit her right down to the bone.</span>
</p><p><b>  “It’s over for Kaylee, she’s gone,”</b><span> Not-Alyssa began to say. </span><b>“We’ll pilot her through the rest of existence, and</b> <b>there’s nothing you can do to change that.” </b><span>She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at the shivering girl below her. </span><b>“But…if you agree to let us take her, quietly, without a fuss…we won’t slaughter the rest of your friends like you did young Kevin, here.”</b></p><p>
  <span>They stopped at the bridge. Kevin’s corpse rotted below them.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>“We will leave the rest of your cattle alone. We only really <em>need </em>the one, anyway.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No,” Winnie’s voice was firm and hard, even with the underlying laces of fear. “No way. I’m saving everyone!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not-Alyssa laughed. </span>
  <b>“Courage isn’t always the answer, dear.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie shrunk back. Her drenched, ruined green jacket chafed uncomfortably against her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You don’t have much time left,”</b>
  <span> Not-Alyssa said. </span>
  <b>“Do you know how we know you don’t have much time left?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was quiet, even when she was egged on with hums to answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “We know,”</b>
  <span> Not-Alyssa went on, </span>
  <b>“Because we can <em>be</em> Alyssa for this long…and her soul’s as quiet as an empty church.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s vision started to bug out--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Jµ§† ñêvêr §å¥. Wê ÐïÐñ’† þrðvïÐê ¥ðµ. Äll. †hê rµlê§.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--but this time it was so much worse than all the other times before. It felt as if someone was taking a knife and stabbing it into her ears over and over and over again until brain matter was spilling out all over the place. She could barely get her eyes to focus after the looping sequence ended, but she recognized that she was back in front of the maintenance cabin, Alyssa was gone, and there were three tape players on the bridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her legs felt like sticks of lead when she moved them to walk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wound up two of three tape players when she noticed Emma huddled beneath a lamppost with her head in her knees. Before she went to the last one, Winnie checked on the other girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I know he was your friend, Winnie,” Emma said before Winnie could even open her mouth. “I-- I’m sorry. I don’t-- I don’t know what happened… One moment he was just there, and then he was…” The image of Kevin’s corpse seemed to flash in her eyes like it did for Winnie. “Gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie wanted to yell at Emma. She wanted to scream at her, slap her, spit on her, throw her stupid body off the bridge for payment for not saving Kevin, but she couldn’t. It wasn’t needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You were his friend, too,” Winnie whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I know,” Emma said softly. “He was great. I liked what I got to know of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “If he can hear you right now,” Winnie said. Her voice was breaking and the tears finally spilled free. “He’d be over the moon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emma sniffled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie moved on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wound the last tape player and let the loop embrace her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, the station should be at the top of the--” Alyssa’s voice halted and she gagged. “Ugh… I feel like I just ate a tree…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was still soaked, even though the rain was gone and nothing was wet anymore. She shivered and uselessly pulled her jacket closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You were possessed,” She said. “It was the longest it’s been before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, I can…kinda remember that part.” Alyssa said. She seemed to notice Winnie shivering, so she took off her beanie and put it on Winnie’s head.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Hello?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The loudspeaker crackled to life.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Hellooo?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, they’re broadcasting from the station speaker somehow,” Alyssa said as she and Winnie made their way up to Catbird. She smiled slightly at both of their friend’s babbling over the com and Winnie’s wonder at getting to wear her beanie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They got to the top as Emma and Kevin told them about how they were ready to go at the bunker. Winnie clicked on the microphone at the control panel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hello,” She said. “Hello, we are here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a quick joke- which, in hindsight, was pretty inappropriate at the time being, but they all needed it- Winnie flicked a switch on the board.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <b>
    <em>“Signal Verified,”</em>
  </b>
  <span> Said a mechanical voice on the panel. </span>
  <b>
    <em>“Shelter TF1 Open.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Great!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Emma said.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Alright, hurry back, you two!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kevin added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sisters exited the station and begin walking out of the woods when--</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “People lose their names and give them to--Golf, Romeo, Alpha, Victor, Echo, Sierra.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa instinctively jolted at the fuzzy voice. Winnie took the vibrating radio out of her pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What is that?” Alyssa asked, taking a small step back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s-- it’s like this scavenger hunt thing,” Winnie answered as she began waving the radio around to find the location of the beacon. It was leading her to the small graveyard across from where Kevin had died. Passing over the river to get to it was painful. “Angie Dickinson hid these notes around the island. They’re supposed to explain what happened with the Kanaloa and The Sunken.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh,” Alyssa relaxed. “That woman was distrustful, wasn’t she? I mean, to hide notes all over an island instead of, like, putting them in a box or something…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I think she was just scared,” Winnie said as she dug up the beacon and removed the note. “Here it is.” She cleared her throat and began to read, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>To whoever is finding these notes, understand my hope is that by enshrouding this intelligence in such an obtuse manner, its detection will discourage most innocent seekers, thereby allowing it to befall the correct person, and not the easily distracted military mind nor the typically bewildered excursionist. Do not blame the submarine’s crew; I don’t believe its passengers like Barry Glickman can even understand what has truly happened to them. And you do not have to forgive me for my myriad of failures…but, please, remember the name, Trent Oliver. Know that he did not deserve his fate.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence between Winnie and her sister for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That’s…so sad,” Alyssa murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Winnie agreed. “Back at the house-- Kaylee-- or Not-Kaylee-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Sunken, </span>
  </em>
  <span>they told me about how Angie and her friend, Trent, tried to help them get free, but Trent was lost to them in the process.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It sounds horrible..."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “I have an idea, Mr. Jordan. Can we make him reborn?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie whipped around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa’s eyes were solid red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa!!” Winnie cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa blinked and her eyes were back to normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay okay okay, I’m-- god, I really hate that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’s getting worse, Alyssa,” Winnie whispered. “I think we’re running out of time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa swallowed thickly. She nodded slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah…” Alyssa muttered. “Hey, I-- I don’t want to get all sappy on you, but… I just want you to know that it would have been nice living with you and ending high school by your side.” If she was about to cry, she was really good at hiding it. “I’m just…glad I met you that’s all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie bit her quivering bottom lip. She didn’t want to cry, not again, but her sister was making that near-impossible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m just glad we met.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie reached down and took Alyssa’s hand as they walked to the bomb shelter together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continued the rest of the walk in silence, hand-in-hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They met up with Emma and Kevin in front of the bunker. There was no time for them to spare, so they cut right to the chase.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “The bunker won’t open back up once we’re in,” Alyssa said. “Kevin, Emma don’t wait for us. Find someplace safe to stay…or hide. Main Street might be a good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Winnie nodded. “If the ferry comes, get on it. Leave. Don’t wait for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin and Emma just nodded quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ready to go?” Alyssa asked Winnie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah. Just--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie walked up to Kevin and hugged him tightly. Kevin hugged her back, and she could feel his tears splatter on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We’ll be back, Kevin,” Winnie whispered. “I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kevin sniffled and wiped his eyes. He squeezed Winnie’s forearm with one hand tightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie went to Emma next and hugged her, too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Go bust some ghost heads.” Emma told her softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie managed a laugh. “Will do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, she hugged Alyssa before they both went into the bomb shelter. They turned to Kevin and Emma, and the true peril of the situation only really set in when the two of them sprung forward and pulled all four of them into a big group hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We love you guys,” Emma choked out through a sob. “Come back. Please come back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We love you, too,” Winnie whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This isn’t goodbye,” Alyssa added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then the heavy bomb shelter door shut and they were engulfed in darkness.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. poor girl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The climb down the ladder into the bomb shelter was like descending into hell. Looking down at the black abyss at the top was terrifying, but actually going down it was so much worse. The darkness embraced Winnie and Alyssa with cold, open arms, wrapping them up in its inky tendrils and welcoming them to the nightmarish world that lurked beneath the light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bunker was small and smelled stale. There were a few beds, shelves full of durable food and supplies, a tape player, some lamps, and a blast door at the end of the room. Winnie and Alyssa made a beeline straight for the door- when Winnie had turned on her phone to use the flashlight app, she had noticed that the time was five-thirty in the morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thirty minutes left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On station 95.1, the Radio Wave Lock was activated. However, before the door could be opened, Alyssa stepped in front of Winnie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Look--” Her half-sister said. “Whatever happens on the other side of this door-- don’t be stupid. Cut and run, okay? If I turn unto dead weight or start freaking out…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No,” Winnie said firmly. “No way. I’m not leaving you. I’m wearing your hat, buddy! While I wear the hat, you have to come back! To get it. From me. Because I will keep it and I’ll show everyone how good I look in it and then you’ll never be able to wear it again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa laughed softly. “Alright. Alright. Fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to the door--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--and then the tape player nearby sparked to life and began to play a song on the ukulele.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Okay okay-- that is, like, the tenth time I’ve heard that song all night!” Alyssa marched over to the tape player. “I’m sorry, but I gotta figure this out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie sighed and trudged over to her right as the tape player sputtered to a halt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Can you fix it?” Alyssa asked. Her eyes were pleading.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie sighed again and began to wind it up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It--” Alyssa’s eyes were now very wide. “It sounds like-- it’s him. My dad. In the static. Do you hear him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Kinda…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This is-- oh my god,” Alyssa crouched down on her knees in front of the tape player. Her hands were over her mouth. Tears were gathering in her eyes. “Daddy?” She whispered. Then, she looked up at Winnie. “C-can you try to tune into it? Maybe it’ll make him clearer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie really didn’t want to waste anymore time, but she couldn’t turn down Alyssa, so she took out her radio and tuned in.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>150</b>
</p><p>
  <span>An axe came down on Winnie’s skull. Over and over and over again. And with each swing, each break to her skull, each spew of her blood, Alyssa’s figure shifted places all over the room until she was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was all alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No! No, Alyssa, come back! I need you!” Winnie begged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie had no choice but to go through the door alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stepped out in the cave where it all began. Not-Kaylee was sitting on the lake’s shore, cross-legged, smoke whirling around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You know,”</b>
  <span> She said as Winnie staggered out from between two crystals. </span>
  <b>“We could have left. Whenever we wanted. We weren’t prisoners to the cave.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Then why stay?” Winnie asked as she approached slowly. “Why not leave? Move on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Because it’s scary, that’s why!!”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The crystals overhead tremble with loud clicking noises, like the treacherous shudder of glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Have you ever stared into nothing, and moved with it, and felt apart with it!” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee growled. </span>
  <b>“It’s worse than when we were wilting away into atoms!”</b>
  <span> Her voice quieted, shook slightly. </span>
  <b>“It’s worse than…</b>
  <b>
    <em>dying</em>
  </b>
  <b>…the first time.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No, of course not,” Winnie said. “But you have to!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “No, we don’t ‘have’ to. We don’t have to do anything. Not anymore.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire cave began to shake. Large cracks split across the ceiling and shards of iridescent crystals come raining down. Winnie staggered, feeling the sharp scoring of pain all over her body from where the crystal daggers managed to cut into her. Five lodge themselves in her shoulders. Several more got in her back. Dozens of smaller, but still sharp flecks sprinkled her scalp and washed her hair an even deeper shade of red.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Whatever you think you can do,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said. </span>
  <b>“You can’t.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The quaking of the cavern got more intense.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “We can’t go back. We won’t!”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The image of Not-Kaylee flickered and disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Child. Wait your turn.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Once again, Winnie was alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was bleeding. She was bleeding a lot and it hurt so badly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She managed to pull two shards out of her shoulder, but the other three were deep and she didn’t want to risk damaging herself further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Above her, the tear that started it all was floating ominously in the air. Within it, a smaller triangle spun slowly in a circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a blood-soaked hand, Winnie took out her radio and tuned in.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>120</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Several lines stretched from the very top.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>123</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Those lines got longer and formed dozens of other triangles.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>128</b>
</p><p>
  <span>They formed one giant Gate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A flash of light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was underwater.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And in front of her was a giant submarine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A submarine that exploded before her very eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flash rendered Winnie blind for a moment, but when she could see again, she was in a part of the forest she didn’t know. It was raining. Not-Kaylee was a few yards away from her, suspended in the air, eyes alight with crimson fury. Behind her, the black figure lurked ominously.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You’ve come to close the hole, right, girl?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That’s right,” Winnie growled. “I’ve come to do what Angie Dickinson couldn’t do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Well, it didn’t work then, so why would it work now?”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said. </span>
  <b>“God. You’re so spoiled.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire world blurred. They were underwater again and the tear could be seen in the distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You don’t even know the cost of things. Closing the hole with your stupid toy will spare your-- your </b>
  <b>
    <em>friends</em>
  </b>
  <b> from our bloom, sure, but it will seal you up in here with it.”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee smirked.</span>
  <b> “You’ll die with us. Again and again.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was back in the arctic waters, back in the icy abyss, but she had some grounding. Her mind was set.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “If they’re safe, then that’s all that matters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Öñê lå§† ¢håñ¢ê. ¥ðµ Ððñ’† håvê †ð Ðïê.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A large tear appeared a few feet away, glowing an ominous red. Winnie walked over to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You can leave, you know,” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee said. </span>
  <b>“Through the Gate you opened.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “ÄñÐ wê kêêþ †hê gïrl. Kå¥. Lêê.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie looked deep into the gateway- she swore she could see the docks and the ferry approaching and Kevin and Emma and Alyssa waiting there. For her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “So, I’m free to go?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Of course,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “§hê’ll ßê håþþïêr wï†h µ§.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s hand raised slowly and she wiped the trail of blood trickling down her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned and walked back up to Not-Kaylee and the figure of The Sunken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Who do you think I am?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Who-- who do you think <em>we are?!</em> Do you think we wanted to be thrown away?!”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie faltered. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Why…why would they do that? If-- if you were…”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “They didn’t care, child,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee cut her off.</span>
  <b> “Sometimes it’s that simple.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence that was left between them all was tense. Thick. Horrifying. It was only then that Winnie was noticing the hunched bodies of her friends appearing in her peripheral vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “We can feel us…binding.”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said. </span>
  <b>“You have maybe just a few moments left.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie could feel it, too. Her head was being crushed- actually crushed. She could almost hear the chips of her bone as cracks zigzag across her skull. The blood flowing from her scalp and shoulders and back continued to spew- she felt so dizzy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt so tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “We feel terrible, we do, but you have to know why everyone chose to forget about us,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said.</span>
  <b> “Everyone just…shut us away…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wait-- wait wait!” Raising her voice made Winnie’s ears feel like they were about to burst. In fact, she could feel hot blood drizzling down from either opening. “Think about what your relatives would think-- what your family would think! Some of them are still alive!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed The Sunken had already thought about that, as they made Not-Kaylee say, </span>
  <b>“They would think us survivors, if they think about us at all.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything was shaking again.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “It won’t hurt…we don’t think…the change,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said. She laughed. </span>
  <b>“But we hope the trip was worth it! Seeing the…deprived tourist trap they’ve built upon our carcass. Did you see the gift shop?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This whole little community is for you,” Winnie said. She couldn’t hide the desperation in her voice. “They’ve built it all up for you and the soldiers that died!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “It’s not <em>for</em> us!”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee snarled. </span>
  <b>“We’ve twisted our bodies, screeching two inches from your faces for you to see us!”</b>
  <span> She settled back slightly. </span>
  <b>“And you never do.”</b>
  <span> Her mouth formed into a scowl. </span>
  <b>“Enjoy the scenery.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The shaking got more intense. The vibrations went straight up through her body and she could feel her ribs fracturing inside of her chest. Desperation rose higher and higher as she wracked her melting brain and shoveled up a name she remembered from the notes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “To the crewwoman on the USS Kanaloa named Dee Dee Allen-- don’t do this. Please.” She said. “I know you’re in there. I know you’re a person, I know you’re all people, come on, just-- please help me, help my friends. Stop this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Dee Dee…”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee murmured. </span>
  <b>“Was our name ever…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ðêê Ðêê?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a blink of an eye, in a painless transition, Winnie and Not-Kaylee were in front of a shack. The loop didn’t hurt, but the change was enough to finally burst the vessels in Winnie’s nose and blood came gushing out down her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “I…almost remember…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “M¥. ñåmê.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You were--” It was difficult to speak with all her wounds, with her body in a half-broken state. Her voice sounded nasally with her nose stuffed with blood, but she made do. “You were people once. All of you. Don’t lose that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “It’s-- It’s--”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “M¥ ñåmê.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Dee Dee Allen,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee murmurs. </span>
  <b>“It’s-- hard to remember certain things. Our faces went a while ago…and then our names.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “ñåmê§. Öµr ñåmê§. ßµ† ðµr åñgêr.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Our anger is, I’m afraid…all we have left.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie thought for a moment. Then, she looked up into Not-Kaylee’s eyes, The Sunken’s eyes, and said, “Then take it with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stared at each other for a long time. A clot began to form in one of Winnie’s nostrils.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “§¢råþ ï†.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Keep your nature,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said. </span>
  <b>“We’ll keep ours.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie closed her eyes. She clenched her fingers, feeling more and more disconnected from her body as time went on.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Angie had-- has-- </b>
  <b>
    <em>will have</em>
  </b>
  <b>-- this friend, and you sort of remind us of her.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “§†råñgê gïrl… ðÐÐ †êmþêrêÐ…”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Take care,”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee said.</span>
  <b> “With the time you have left, child. And take notice of what you choose to--”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie took out her radio and began to tune in. The tear was nowhere in sight, but she knows it was still there. She could feel its energy. Not-Kaylee faltered.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “What are you doing?” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Winnie said. “But I’m not letting you hurt my friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>101.1</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The edges of the tear flickered into view.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Oh! You wanna play chicken with the void? Fine.” </b>
  <span>Not-Kaylee growled. </span>
  <b>“Let’s see how long you can last in the throttle.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie grit her teeth. Her entire body was quaking. Spiderwebs of cracks spread throughout her bones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I don’t care what happens to me,” She grunted. Her hands were wracked with tremors and she could barely see the station numbers, but she continued to twist the dial anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>111</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The tear shrunk, the edges folding in on themselves. The storm raged powerfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Guinevere, wake up!”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee yelled. </span>
  <b>“This course of action will only save those morons, not you! Don’t you understand?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I know that,” Winnie said calmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “You don’t even comprehend why this is happening, do you?”</b>
  <span> Not-Kaylee growled. </span>
  <b>“They sent warships after us! Like we were prey! It’s--”</b>
  <span> She faltered again. </span>
  <b>“It wasn’t supposed to be like that. And neither is this.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie looked up at Not-Kaylee again and narrowed her reddening eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You said you only needed one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>106.2</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The tear began to mend itself shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “WAIT!!”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Lights, flashing, static, roaring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wïññïê. Wïññïê.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie was an endless void of black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “†ïmê. Öµ†. Älðñê. Wê årê åll ðñ †hê §åmê. §ïÐê.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears spilled down Winnie’s cheeks. She leaned back, floating weightlessly in the abyss. She smiled sadly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “þððr. Gïrl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I did it for my friends and Alyssa,” She whispered. She tilted her head back, inhaling shakily and sobbing softly. “All for them. If they’re safe, that’s all that matters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ì† ï§ †hê. RðåÐ. Ö£ †hê mïÐÐlêÐ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie pulled her knees to her chest, spinning in a slow circle. Her tears splashed down onto the radio she was holding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wê åll þlå¥. ß¥. †hê §åmê. Ðê§ïgñ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could feel herself bugging out. She looked up in shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What are you…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “GððÐ. Lµ¢k. Måkê ï†. Lå§†.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  
  <b> “Yeah,”</b>
  <span> The Other-Winnie nodded, walking past a large pond. </span>
  <b>“Well-- not a lot, but sometimes.” She paused for a moment, then went on, “With, umm... With Shelby.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>She said that, but there was no leading question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no Alyssa.</span>
</p><p><b>  “Alyssa?” </b><span>The</span> <span>Other-Winnie called out. </span><b>“Alyssa, where-- where are you?!”</b></p><p>
  <span>She pulled her green cardigan closer around herself as she hurried down the path that passed by the pond. Rockets of anxiety were shooting through her, more so now that Alyssa wasn’t there by her side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was strange, she thought, how attached she had become to the girl she’d only known for--she checked the time on her phone. the numbers were stuck at 12:11--such a little amount of time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down from her phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Down at her reflection in the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Down at her in the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Other-Winnie’s muscles clenched so tightly she thought they may snap her bones in two.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Wh-what the…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Don’t tell Shelby to stop hanging out with Kaylee. They really like each other.” Said Winnie.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “How-- But…Shelby’s… Shelby’s dead. How could I even--”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>-.. --- / -. --- - / -... . / ... -.-. .- .-. . -.. .-.-.-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking at it warily, still nervous to see one of the beds move again, the Other-Winnie truly realized how rugged she had become over such a short amount of time. Her grey eyes, now dull and hollow, were shadowed by bags so dark they were bordering on black, as if she had been awake for a lot longer than a few hours (</span>
  <em>
    <span>she will, she will, she will</span>
  </em>
  <span>). Her hair was quite literally a rat’s nest on top of her head, gnarled and knotted and even missing a few patches in some areas, though she hadn’t realized any locks had been ripped out at the time. Her nose was inflamed and red as if she had a sinus infection, and her flushed cheeks made it look like she was being forced to function with a fever at the same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Other-Winnie dragged a hand down her face, pulling the pallid flesh this way and that, and morosely wondering if she would ever resemble the clean-cut, rich white girl from the Thompson family photos (if she had been allowed to take them with the others or hadn’t been cut out, that is) ever again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Probably not. She didn’t think the light could ever return to her dead-looking eyes. Even she was scared by how glassy they were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a heavy sigh, she shook her head and straightened up again, her reflection leaning back away from her. They regarded each other in sympathetic silence for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You poor, ugly bastard,” Winnie said. “You deserve it, you know. In case you weren’t aware. This is all your fault. You brought the radio.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Oh, don’t worry, I’m aware,”</b>
  <span> The Other-Winnie muttered to herself, and then she realized that she hadn’t opened her mouth to mimic her. She just…stared at her with those dull, dead fish-like eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Other-Winnie’s heart leapt into her throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “H-hello?”</b>
  <span> She squeaked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie shuddered and twitched before opening her mouth, even though the Other’s was firmly shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “When the time comes, let Alyssa talk to her dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>  “Her…her dad is gone… I know her dad is gone! How does…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>.. - / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / --- -.- .- -.-- .-.-.-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Other-Winnie’s vision blurred and she was back in the attic. She trudged down the ladder and found three tape players in the place where her friend’s bodies used to be. She sluggishly cranked the handle of the top two, her mind far away, but when she walked downstairs to get to the last one and passed the large mirror, her reflection shifted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She froze.</span>
</p><p><span>  “Let Shelby go out on her own,”</span> <span>Winnie said.</span></p><p>
  <b>  “Why-- why does it even matter? She’s not-- Shelby’s not here.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>-.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / ..-. .-. . .</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>  “Aw, man, are you dozing off? Was my speech really that boring? I tried to make it interesting! Didn’t you hear all my amazing jokes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie blinked her eyes. Soft yellow sunlight was bleeding in through pink curtains, across the familiar bed she was sitting on. She looked around, and there was Shelby, smiling and holding a piece of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Maybe it needs, like, a theme or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Uhh--” Winnie glanced all around her again. It felt so safe in Shelby’s bedroom. It felt like it had been forever since she was in there. “Yeah. Make it different.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shelby nodded. “Have I told you about my scholarship to State yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie perked up. “No! That’s great! Congrats!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shelby smiled, but she was fidgeting slightly. Something was on her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Listen-- don’t tell anyone, but Kaylee and I are talking about leaving. You know, getting an apartment somewhere. Just getting away from it all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was familiar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie knew this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Anyway,” Shelby shifted. “I wouldn’t feel right about it if I didn’t have your blessing, so can you just give me the ‘okay’ to do this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Winnie smiled. “Go for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shelby beamed. “Thank you! And, Winnie, just…get good friends, okay? And when you’re with those friends, just say yes to everything. And keep away from boys when you talk to them it feels like you’re performing. But also, stay away from girls who look you in the eye for too long. And match every beer with a water. And take classes outside of school. Classes you don’t need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie laughed. “I’ll make a checklist!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “This is a ‘just in case’ package, okay?” Shelby said. “Just in case I’m not around.” She smiled again, and it made Winnie’s heart hurt. “And I love you and you’re amazing and…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I… I love you, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(goodbye forever, dear friend.)</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>‘But soon, I shall be so that I cannot remember any…but the things that never happened.’</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, I-- I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie stirred and groaned softly. She struggled to open her eyes because of the light that immediately stabbed into her retinas. She groaned again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Ugh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey, she’s walking up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alyssa was kneeling in front of her. Behind her, the other three stood on the deck of the ferry they were all on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Are…are we in ghost heaven?” Winnie slurred out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I think that’s just regular heaven, sweetheart,” Kaylee said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice was what really made Winnie’s mind register. It was normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie blinked hard and the fuzzy black blotches spotting her vision cleared up slowly. She sat up on the bench she had been laying on and looked at everyone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one has glowing red eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Did we…did we win? Are we okay?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Alyssa answered. There was a small smile on her lips. “Whatever you did in that cave, it worked. We’re going home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie’s breath caught in her throat. She glanced all around the boat again- Kevin’s smile wasn’t strained, Emma’s face wasn’t the color of a corpse, Alyssa was there with her, Kaylee was herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh my god…” Winnie whispered. “Are we-- are we okay? Is it really over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah,” Alyssa nodded. “It’s okay. It’s over. We’re safe now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were safe now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears filled Winnie’s eyes and she launched herself into Alyssa’s arms. Kevin and Emma joined the group hug, and Kaylee got pulled in in the process. They all embraced each other tightly, crying. Crying in relief, exhaustion, joy, bliss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were free.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “That was-- wow,” Kevin said after they all pulled away. He laughed and wiped his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Are you crying, Kevin?” Kaylee teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “So are you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I am, and it’s completely ruining my mascara </span>
  <em>
    <span>AND</span>
  </em>
  <span> my persona,” Kaylee said, wiping away the black-tinged streaks rolling down her cheek. “That was-- insane.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We gotta tell people!” Emma said. “Right? I mean, it’s not like anyone will believe us, but, like…we could go on a freakin’ book tour or something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “We encountered real ghosts!” Winnie added. “I mean, we don’t have proof, but still!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “It’ll definitely be quite the story,” Kaylee chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie finally stood up and, when she did so, she felt no pounding against her temples. The agonizing migraine that had been infecting her head that entire night was gone. There was no dull static buzzing in the back of her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They really were safe now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was out of that void.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What happened back there?” Winnie asked. “Does anyone know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was no longer bloody, she could breathe properly, and none of her bones felt like they were about to shatter into tiny pieces, so did whatever went down in that storm really happen? Or was it all a hallucination after she tuned into that giant tear in the cave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alyssa carried you here,” Emma said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Well, of course I did.” Alyssa crosses her arms. “You were unconscious on the beach, so I ran down to get you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What about Kaylee?” Winnie asked, looking at the older girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I carried her,” Kevin said. “But she woke up along the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “What time is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Seven in the morning,” Alyssa answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie breathed a small, impressed breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Did…” Kaylee spoke up. Everyone else turned to her. “Did anyone else experience, like, dreams when they were ‘taken’ during the night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, a few,” Kevin answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Me too,” Emma nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Just the one of my dad in the bunker,” Alyssa added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I had…I had some of Shelby,” Winnie said. “We were on a trip to the beach.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I had my older sister,” Kaylee said. “We were fighting over…I don’t even remember. Something Stupid. But I don’t know why that memory would visit”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Maybe it’s something that’s close to us?” Winnie guessed aloud. “I don’t know. It’s over now. That’s all that matters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey, Kevin, didn’t you say you lost a book?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others looked over at Emma, who was holding up a book. Kevin perked up and snatched it from her excitedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You found it!” He said. “I thought one of the ship guys would have thrown it overboard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Oh, also,” Emma piped up again. “What were we talking about before Winnie woke up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Prom?” Kevin said, and the others groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I think I’m gonna defer my crown to the girl in the wheelchair this year,” Kaylee said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Winnie, are you gonna go?” Emma asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie shrugged. “I don’t know. I might.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, you should come with us!” Kaylee turned around to face Winnie. The old light she used to have in her eyes, the loving, caring, friendly one, was returning slowly. It bathed Winnie in its tender glow. “We can go dress shopping. It’ll be fun!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winnie blinked, genuinely shocked by the offer, but then she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’d- I’d love to! It sounds great!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaylee smiled back. A real smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “You can even bring your half-sis,” She said, nodding at Alyssa, who laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I’m glad I got your permission to go,” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Alright, everyone! It’s picture time!” Emma suddenly exclaimed. She scampered out onto the deck, into the warm morning light bleeding out from the soft grey clouds above. “Come on! Tonight has been noteworthy- we gotta take a picture to commemorate it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others gave in to her pleas and all grouped together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Hey, Kevin, what is that book, anyway?” Alyssa asked as they got into position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “I actually don’t know,” Kevin admitted. “I can hardly make heads or tails of it! Like, look-- I’ll open to some random ass page and…</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not. But soon, I shall be so that I cannot remember any…but the things that never happened.’</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Yeah, I-- I don’t know.” Alyssa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Wait--” Winnie blinked. “Didn’t you--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>  “Cheese!!”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>  “Dear Diary…yes I have one now……</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Before we left, Alyssa and I told our mom (my new mom at the time) that we were spending the night at a friend’s house. When we got back, I didn’t see a reason to change that story. And you know what…I still don’t.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kevin began studying culinary in a city nearby after high school. I was worried for awhile- I thought our friendship had been ruined on that island, but he came around pretty quickly. We’re still best friends to this day.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kaylee left to study English literature…she was thinking about dropping out, but she’s sticking with it for now. We talk a lot, actually. It’s nice. She’s scared of the ocean, now. Also she got a dog. If you care.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Alyssa was the first to introduce me as her ‘sister’. You know, without the ‘half’ part. It was nice. We’re still really close- she goes to school in town and we see each other all the time. She’s also dating Emma.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s funny. What happened on the island used to pop into my head every single day. And then every other day. And then a week went by and I realized I hadn’t thought about it at all. I guess…that’s a good thing, I think.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I decided to stay in town and go to college here. I’m studying forensic science to become a pathologist. It’s practically up the road! And it’s something familiar.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But anyways… What time is it? Oh, yeah-- sorry, I gotta run or I’ll miss the ferry! Kevin’s dragging me out to Edwards Island for the yearly beach party thing. Alyssa is coming, too. It’s supposed to be a ‘bonding exercise’ or something. I hope it won’t be weird or something.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever. I’m sµre it’ll be fµñ. It’s somêthïñg to Ðð. Rïg̶հ†?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>.-- . .-.. -.-. --- -- . / -... .- -.-. -.- --..-- / --. ..- .. -. . ...- . .-. .</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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